ARTS 244A: Art of India before 1300: Temples, Caves, and Stupas

This course begins with South Asia’s most ancient civilization (ca. 2500 BCE) and then tracks the classic forms of Buddhist stupas, rock-cut cave temples, early mosques, and the increasingly grand stone temples dedicated to the worship of Hindu gods. Elegant figures, carved in an aesthetic language that persists in Indian dance, guide visitors through these monuments, teaching them about the nature of the divine. Special attention in this course is devoted to analyzing elements that lend South Asian art its distinctive character.