Bronze Sculptures

The great civilizations of the old world worked in bronze for art, from the time of the introduction of the alloy for tools and edged weapons. Dancing Girl from Mohenjodaro, belonging to the Harappan civilization and dating back to c. 2500 BCE, is perhaps the first known bronze statue. Far more Roman bronze statues have survived. Egyptian small lost-wax bronze sculptures of figurines were made in large numbers, but the true marvels of bronze casting were made on the other side of the Mediterranean sea.
While the actual practice might have originated in other parts of India, it found the highest patronage during the Pallava and Chola rule in South India once it made its way South. Over a period of time, the use of bronze in sculptures has been found across India; from Kashmir to Kerala and from Gujarat to Odisha. It had mainly been used for sculptures of gods and goddesses, the most popular icon of which is the Nataraja statue of Shiva. Bronze was generally preferred as a sculptural material because it expands when hot and shrinks as it cools, which makes it easier to transfer impressions from the mold.
Subrata Paul is one of our key artists who works with Bronze to create contemporary Indian sculptures.