Notably ruled by Chandragupta I, Samudragupta, and Chandragupta II, the Gupta empire provided a respectful and thriving ground for some of the most celebrated artists, writers, medics, thinkers, and inventors in the history. Art in various forms comprising sculpture, architecture, paintings, and pottery was appreciated and significantly evolved under the rule of Gupta kings.
The Gupta Empire: A Golden Era
in Ancient India When Art
Reached to its Zenith
The timeline of Indian history, which begins from prehistoric settlements and
goes through Indus Valley Civilisation, Indo-Aryan rule, Vedic dynasties, to
modern times has a few golden eras
that still makes us proud. One of those
golden chunks is the period of Gupta Empire (319 to 550 CE).
Notably ruled by Chandragupta I, Samudragupta, and Chandragupta II, the
Gupta empire provided a respectful and thriving ground for some of the most
celebrated artists, writers, medics, thinkers, and inventors in the history. Art in
various forms comprising sculpture, architecture, paintings, and pottery was
appreciated and significantly evolved under the rule of Gupta kings.
(TheGupta Empire)
ImageCourtesy: Wikipedia
In 5th Century, when the Gupta Dynasty was at the peak of its magnificence, it
consisted of almost 22 major kingdoms and was the home of Kalidasa,
Aryabhata, Vatsyayana, Vishnu Sharma, and Varahamihira. All of these
renowned scholars later emerged into unforgettable contributors in diverse
fields such as literature, painting, ayurveda, and much more.
Apart from occupying a massive army and area on Indian Subcontinent, Gupta
rulers made sure to give a rise to art as well. These are the primary art forms that
embarked a mark on the history:
Paintings
Most of the paintings of the Gupta era depicted security in theme and simplicity
in appearance. The caves of Ajanta (Maharashtra) and Bagh (Madhya Pradesh)
are great sources to observe and admire a unique theme, around which the
paintings (and cave art) revolve around. Most of the pai