South Asian art has portrayed Hinduism and Buddhism in abundance throughout history. Hinduism, according to many scholars, is the world’s oldest religion, with roots and customs dating back more than 4,000 years. “Hindu art represents a plurality of beliefs and has deeply influenced the painting, sculpture and architecture of the Indian subcontinent” (Lumen, Hindu Art). Buddhist art also, in a way, stems from Hindu art since buddhism itself derives from Hinduism. Buddhism has a rich history, originating in India over 2,500 years ago, with a plethora of its own art and architecture in the annals of history influencing South Asian art. “Hinduism and Buddhism were brought to the region and became the main religions practiced from about the 1st century BCE to the 13th century CE. These influences played a considerable role in shaping the art and sculpture of Southeast Asia” (Lumen, Art of Southeast Asia). In many ways, Buddhist art goes hand in hand with Hindu art to create incredibly unique and beautiful South Asian art. Architecture and sculpture are inextricably linked in Hindu and Buddhist temples, which are usually devoted to a number of different deities. Through this devotion to the various deities, Hindu and Buddhist artists have mastered various mediums. The most popular and common mediums of art they created were sculpting and painting. The sculptures are truly magnificent pieces of work, Many of them are either very large or small making it tedious to work on them and add details, yet they are some of the most detailed works in the world. All the sculptures feature marvelous intricately placed details that showcase how proficient the artists of their time were at creating spectacular and impressive works of art. The paintings, as well, showcase incredible detail along with vibrant colors and lively scenes. The combination of great Hindu and Buddhist art represents the incredibly diverse and intriguing South Asian cultures in a beautiful, eye-catching manner.
By: Shwetha, Patrick, Kartik and Hunter