Question

Explain the following statement with reasons.

Indian iconography is widely developed in India.

Answer 1

1. Iconography is a branch of knowledge that includes everything about making images of gods and goddesses.
2. The 1st-3rd century C.E., that is the Kushana period, saw the rise of the Mathura School of Art. The Mathura school laid the foundation of Indian iconography.
3. The Kushana kings made use of images of various deities on their coins.
4. During the period of the Gupta empire, iconographic rules were formulated and standards for sculptural art were set.
5. The art of making bronze images was developed under the patronage of Chola kings during the 9th-13th centuries. Bronze idols of gods and goddesses like Shiva-Parvati, Nataraj, Lakshmi, Vishnu, etc., were made in this period.