Erotic sculpture “Mithuna lovers” from early Hindu times, museum replica as art casting

Art on the Indian subcontinent, which encompasses the present-day states of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, varies depending on the landscape and religion. Indian art is one of the most significant complexes of world art and is religiously determined. Its most outstanding achievements include the depiction of intimate contemplation as well as sensual joie de vivre. Four culturally distinct main phases are sequential: in northwest and northern India, the Harappan culture in the 3rd-2nd centuries BC, the periods from Indian antiquity to the Middle Ages, the Indo-Islamic periods from the Muslim conquests from the 12th and 13th centuries, and the modern era, which ushered in a "Hindu Renaissance" and ultimately led to modernity with international influence. The Harappan culture (c. 2500-1500 BC) was the first advanced civilization on Indian soil. In the Vedic period from c. 1200 BC, the Hindu culture developed into a Hindu culture. In the 4th century BC, following the immigration of the Aryan tribes, the famous Brahman caste society formed, the foundation of the later Hindu and Buddhist religions of India. Here, along with the first iron tools, finely painted ceramics were found. The Mauryan period (4th-2nd centuries BC) concluded the early phase of state formation, which also saw the emergence of Buddhism. During this period, the first monumental architectural and sculptural works emerged, including animal figures of the highest sculptural maturity. The early Buddhist and early Hindu periods saw the development of stupa art styles (c. 100-75 BC). Buddhist art styles dispensed with the human representation of Buddha; images of gods emerged from the very beginning of Hinduism. In the Satavahana period from the 2nd-3rd centuries AD, early Indu and Buddhist image cults reached their full potential. In the Gupta period (320-6th centuries), the creation of Buddha images with perfect inner concentration was achieved. In Hindu art, depictions of Shiva and Krishna emerged with soft modeling and balanced proportions. Medieval periods (7th-13th centuries). India's shared religious traditions proved to be a culturally unifying foundation. The triad of gods Vishnu, Shiva, and Brahma was the subject of artistic creation. The Devi and Shaktis, as feminine cosmic forces, achieved a special status in Tantric art. In Buddhism, the esoteric Tantrayana movement emerged towards the end of the 1st millennium, in whose pantheon the Bodhisattvas and Taras dominated. The temple buildings of this period, decorated with richly figurative reliefs, are impressive. Indo-Islamic art developed from the 12th century onwards, but remained influenced by Indian architects. Under the Mughal dynasty, founded by Babur in 1526, a monumental fortress, palace and garden architecture began, characterized by the use of precious materials (red sandstone, white marble).