Elements of Hindu Iconography v1.c7.78

v1.c7.78

The foregoing remarks lead us naturally to look at the probable causes of the decadence of the iconoplastic art in India. There is no doubt that the arts of sculpture and painting attained an amount of perfection in ancient India, which could stand comparison with what was attained in other civilised countries. The Indian artist was not wanting in originality and vigour in the handling of his subjects; he was also true to nature, and in his representations of animals and birds he is often unsurpassed. In the early period of the history of Indian art, the imagination of the artist was not tied down by mechanical rules, which became the bane of art in later times. The early sculptor was guided by his own observation and imagination, and dealt with his subjects with a freedom, which made him able to produce very