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Ruins of the Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur (UNESCO/NHK)
Evidence of the rise of Mahayana Buddhism in Bengal from the 7th century onwards, Somapura Mahavira, or the Great Monastery, was a renowned intellectual centre until the 12th century. Its layout perfectly adapted to its religious function...

Image Gallery
50 Impressionist Paintings that Changed Art Forever
From the 1860s, a group of young avant-garde artists in Paris forged an entirely new style of painting, one that came to be known as impressionism. In this gallery, we present 50 paintings that made a major contribution to changing both the...

Collection
The Art of Ancient Rome
Roman artists used every medium from amber to marble, frescoes to glassware, and produced works of art that still pull in the crowds wherever surviving examples are exhibited. The Romans copied, imitated, and innovated to produce art on a...

Image Gallery
Marine Life in Ancient Mediterranean Art
Throughout the history of the ancient Mediterranean artists were always keen to express their appreciation of the bounty of the sea. Marine life of all kinds, real and imagined, was frequently depicted on frescoes, pottery, mosaics and coins...

Image Gallery
Paleolithic Art
The first non-functional human-made objects that could be clearly classified as art date back to the Upper Paleolithic (c. 50,000 to c. 12,000 years ago) in Europe. Although Upper Paleolithic art is mostly associated with rock art, besides...

Definition
Mahasanghika
Mahasanghika (“Great Congregation”, also given as Mahasamghika) was an early Buddhist school of thought which is thought to have been formed after the Second Buddhist Council of 383 BCE when it separated itself from another school, the Sthaviravada...

Image Gallery
A Gallery of Ancient African Art
In this gallery, we look at striking examples of art from across the African continent. In gold, stone and metals, ancient and medieval African artists have not only given us unique pieces of art to admire but their works are also an insight...

Image Gallery
Imagining the Amazons: Women Warriors in Greco-Roman Art
Amazon warriors frequently appeared in the art, literature, and mythology of the ancient Greeks and Romans. The idea of a female warrior society existing on the fringes of civilization continues to capture the imagination of modern generations...

Image Gallery
A Gallery of Etruscan Art
In this gallery, we showcase 25 pieces of art produced by the Etruscan civilization which flourished in central Italy between the 8th and 3rd century BCE. Etruscan art is celebrated for its vitality, colour and capturing of everyday life...

Video
Bodh Gaya: Center of the Buddhist World
Learn about Bodh Gaya, one of several sights in India associated with the birth of Buddhism.