The art of Hinduism constitutes one of the world’s great traditions, as alive today as when the first images of the Hindu gods were fashioned out of stone more than two thousand years ago. George Michell’s invaluable survey looks at the entire period, covering shrines consecrated to Hindu cults as well as works of art portraying Hindu divinities and the great mythological narratives.

After introducing Hinduism, its gods, the symbolic basis for its architecture, and the system of royal patronage that led to the creation of so many temples and their attendant works of art, the book adopts a chronological sweep that traces artistic continuities down to the present day in the different regions of India, through profound and beautiful works of sculpture – such as Shiva dancing the eternal dance of creation and destruction – to exquisite paintings of the loves of Krishna.