Sculpture "Indian God Ganesha", brass antique green finish

The art of the entire Indian subcontinent, including what is now India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, consists of a variety of art forms depending on landscape and religion. Indian art is one of the most important complexes of world art and is religiously determined. One of its most outstanding achievements includes the illustration of intimate contemplation but also sensual joie de vivre. There are four culturally different phases:

The Harappan culture of north-western and northern India in the 3rd - 2nd century B.C., the periods of Indian antiquity up to the Middle Ages, the Indo-Islamic periods beginning with the Muslim conquests from the 12th and 13th centuries and the modern period, that initiates the "Hindu Renaissance" and finally led to the modernity of an international flair.

The Harappan culture (ca. 2500 - 1500 B.C.) is the first advanced civilization on Indian territory.

The renowned Brahmin caste society was formed after the immigration of the Aryan tribes in the Vedic period from about 1200 B.C. and was the basis of the Hindu and Buddhist religions of India. This is where finely painted pottery was found alongside the first iron implements.

The Mauryan Period (4th - 2nd century B.C.) marked the early phase of state formation, which also coincided with the emergence of Buddhism. During this period, the first monumental architectonic and sculptural works, animal figures of the highest sculptural maturity were created. The artistic styles of stupas developed in the early Buddhist and early Hindu periods (around 100 - 75 B.C.). The Buddhist art styles forego the human representation of Buddha whereas in Hinduism of deities were created from the very beginning.

The early Hindu and Buddhist image worship fully developed in the Satavahana period from the 2nd - 3rd century A.D.

The Gupta period (320 - 6th century) saw the emergence of the Buddha image with great inner composure. Hindu art produced representations of Shiva and Krishna with soft modelling and well-balanced proportions.

Medieval periods (7th - 13th century). The common religious traditions of India proved to be a culturally unifying foundation. The Hindu triple deity Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma were the subjects of artistic creation. Devi and Shakti attained a special position as female cosmic forces in Tantra art. The esoteric Tantrayana movement, in the Pantheon of which the Bodhisattvas and Taras dominated, was formed in Buddhism towards the end of the 1st millennium. The temple buildings of that time, decorated with figurative reliefs, are impressive.

Indo-Islamic art developed from the 12th century onwards, however, remained dominated by Indian architects. The Mughal dynasty, founded by Babur in 1526, started to develop monumental fortress, palace and garden architecture, that was characterised by the use of precious materials (red sandstone, white marble).