The Age of the Imperial Guptas c9.2

c9.2

The general impression that the Gupta age is the Golden age of Indian culture is almost entirely dependent on the evidence of its plastic art. The plastic art of the Gupta period proper has been studied to some extent in one part and very much neglected in others. The prevalent idea of the denotation and connotation of the term is also vague and art-critics generally try to convey the idea of excellence by the use of the term "Gupta". Thus, the term "Gupta Art" has been applied to the early Cālukyan art of South-western India¹, though the Guptas had no connection either historically or culturally with the country over which the early Cālukyas ruled. The scanty resemblance in artistic ideals is solely due to the imitation of the North, which is noticeable in the 6th and the 7th centuries in all parts of the South, both in architecture and in art.