Introduction
Right from the creation of the famous dancing girl sculpture of the Harappan civilisation, art, sculpture, and other contemporary forms of art have gone hand in hand in India. Sculpture in the Indian subcontinent, partly because of the climate of the Indian subcontinent making the long-term survival of organic materials difficult, essentially consists of a sculpture of stone, metal or terracotta.
These styles have over the years undergone a vital paradigm shift, evolving from Greco-Roman regurgitations and subsequently intermingling with the indigenous style of sculpting unique to the Dravidian idols.
While the Greco-Roman roots demanded exquisite beauty and lifelike precision from the sculptures, the subsequent Dravidian ‘infusion’ required the sculptures to possess exaggerated and inaccurate yet animated and visually potent qualities.
However, to avoid unnecessary jargon, you need not remember how the foreign and the indigenous styles have mixed. What you do need to remember is how one can familiarise oneself with these art styles and buy contemporary art online in the comfort of their home.
Online art galleries
To trace the progression of sculpture art styles and how they steadily assert familiarity, we must first be aware of how online art galleries work in the first place.
A virtual or online art gallery is a website that displays artworks against a backdrop or wall to attract potential buyers and even people who wish to only observe artworks and sculptures without buying the product. In some cases, via a VR headset, you can even admire or ‘touch’ the artefact to examine it from all sides. This is the major plus point of online galleries compared to their offline counterparts.
As the online iteration of the sculpture or artwork is not real, you can freely touch and admire the artwork or sculpture from all angles. If you are looking to buy sculpture online, this hands-on examination will allow you to view the artefact from all sides. On the other hand, if you’re looking to buy contemporary art online or buy original paintings for sale, a virtual tour of an online art gallery would give you an idea of what it would look like displayed atop your walls.
A brief note on various sculpting styles and contemporary art forms
As has been promised already, this section is not an exhaustive thesis on the art forms and sculpting styles, but only a brief note on the various sculpting styles and art forms unique to and totemic of the Indian identity.
Gandhara sculptures
One of yesteryear India’s most popular sculpting styles is the Gandhara form or Greco-romanesque form of art comprising immaculate features and life-sized statues. This art form originated in the region between modern-day southern Afghanistan and northern day Pakistan.
The bronze age sculptures
One of the first and only known sculpting styles of the Indus Valley and Harappan civilisation, this form of sculpting has produced major renowned statuettes such as :
- The Pashupati Seal
- The Priest King of Mohenjo Daro
- The Dancing Girl of Mohenjo Daro
- The Harappan jester torso
- The Daimabad chariot
The Pradhan Gond or Gond art form
One of India’s most popular and most expensive paintings has the distinct touch of Gond Art. Gond paintings take inspiration from India’s myths and legends. The Gond Art form essentially breathes life into abstract concepts and makes no or very little distinction between humans, animals and nature.
How online or virtual galleries help us identify the art and sculpting styles
A major plus point of online galleries is that, unlike real galleries, there are no fixed opening or closing timings to view the artworks, allowing one to view them as comfortably as possible.
This prolonged examination gives one enough time to be conversant with every bit of detail of the sculpture or artwork they are examining, establishing a ‘brand image’ in the process.
Once this brand image or a well-defined pattern of idiosyncrasy sets in, can the various contemporary art and sculpting styles be effectively understood?
Final thoughts
To the discerning eye, the unique qualities of each form of art are easily grasped in an instant. The Indian tradition is so rich and varied that every art style and sculpting style can be accurately named and correctly placed in history.
Across the vast swathes of time, although the art style has shifted constantly, the focus of Indian art and sculptures towards deities and nature has always remained identical. These art forms aimed to offer a holistic approach to the human condition via the masterful strokes of a brush or the dexterous fingers of a master craftsman. If you also wish to adorn your home walls with sculptures or want to buy original paintings for sale, Artshoppy is your answer.
With Artshoppy, you can not only buy various top-notch statuettes and paintings, but you can also have the full context of the artwork or statue beforehand and the exact dimensions and background information that would enable you to make the right decision. The paintings and sculptures are categorised efficiently, ensuring an overall smooth sailing and a happy, smiling face out of the deal.
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