Indian Art Book Report

Indian Art

In what ways are the form and function of the Buddhist stupa and Hindu temple similar to or different from the Islamic mosque?

The Buddhist Stupa, the Hindu Temple, and the Islamic Mosque all have social, cultural, and religious functions. Their physical forms are more similar than they are different, in that each boasts tapered and often rounded edifices. However, Hindu temples are more likely to have angular features and involve the use of straight lines and parallel planes; both stupas and mosques prefer curvilinear elements and bulbous forms. Hindu temples and Muslim mosques will also have larger interior spaces devote to personal prayer.

In what ways may the Quwwat al-Islam Mosque in Delhi be considered an Islamic (ate) building and an Indic one in terms of its construction and its design?

The Quwwat al-Islam Mosque in Delhi is clearly Islamic because of the minaret, as well as the domes and arches in the construction of the main edifice. The fundamental forms of these elements are clearly Islamic. There are also no anthropomorphic architectural or interior design elements, as there might be in Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, or other Indian architecture. However, the Quwwat al-Islam Mosque is also Indic in its construction and design due to the use of the red brick and the heavy fluting or pleating on the minaret. The sprawling mosque complex also derives from Indian temple complexes.

What are the sources and precedents for the layout, elevation and design of the Taj Mahal complex of buildings?

The inspiration for the Taj Mahal complex includes references to previous mausoleum art in Indo-Islamic architecture, the inclusion of the charbagh, or paradise garden, the heavy use of calligraphy and floral motifs as decorative elements, reliance on domes and arches, and the use of white marble. As the culmination of Mughal architecture, the Taj Mahal also incorporates spiritual meanings and symbols such as symmetry and the inclusion of symbolic minarets. The paradise gardens are rendered in ways that evoke Persian ideals, including the use of waterways in the design, and its being organized around cardinal points.As a mausoleum, the symbolism of the Taj Mahal corresponds with teachings related to death and the afterlife as well as to sacred love.

Compare this eleventh-century palm-leaf manuscript with the fifth-century wall paintings at Ajanta and the fifteenth-century Jain manuscript paintings of western India (for example, Dehejia, pages 176-7).

The eleventh-century palm-leaf manuscripts are often completed in rectangular format and often include detailed instructions for rituals. Others are illustrated, but generally they are religious and ritualistic as opposed to purely literal. The fifth-century wall paintings at Ajanta are rich with decorative elements, are highly pictorial in nature, avoiding text, and therefore in contrast with the palm-leaf manuscripts. There are religious and narrative dimensions to the Ajanta cave paintings. The fifteenth-century Jain manuscripts represent a fusion of these two types of paintings because both text and pictorial elements are combined and placed together on one page. Illustrations supplement the text. Each of these types of manuscripts serves a didactic function that includes a lay audience, but is also deeply religious in tone to inspire worship and devotion.

Discussion activity: Mughal painting

Mughal painting is a marriage of Persian and South Asian aesthetics. Early Mughal art played a different social and political role than Indian art, especially as art became more personal. The role of the individual artist became more relevant, and artists became recognized or even famous for their work. Paintings developed with rich and tiny detail, especially evident in Mughal miniature painting. Medium ranged from organic materials to household items. Figures are often depicted in profile, and may be engaged in daily or mundane activities. Both men and women feature as subject matters, and eroticism is sometimes also included. Colors are rich with a jewel-tone palette in Mughal painting.

Reflection activity: Mughal and Rajput court paintings

The Mughal Akbarnama is replete with vibrant….....