Vastu-shastra (Vol. I: Hindu Science of Architecture; Vol. II: Hindu Canons of Iconography and Painting) v2.c74.s2.6

v2.c74.s2.6

With this general introduction to this line of investigation, for completeness’ sake let us first take a bird’s eye view on the principal schools of Indian sculpture as well as characteristic features of the sculptures of various periods before we give our own lines from which these studies should be taken up. In this connection, the first thing to be noted in this historical point of view is that the early art is simple and ‘free from the cramping influence of artificial rules, and are notably realistic; a desire on the part of the artist to copy nature as faithfully as possible is plainly visible in his work’—Rao. The arrangement of the different limbs particulary the chest and outline of the whole body are remarkably natural in earliar sculptures. The drapery too is very effective and natural. In later sculptures however, there is a marked tendency of decorations and arrangements too deviate from a natural simplicity and seem to unwieldy effort. The later tendency is also represented in the iconographical prescriptions of the later Vāstu-texts, notably the Āgamas.