South Indian Portraits in Stone and Metal

South Indian Portraits deals extensively with the different types of sculptures and portraits found in various temples and how they found a significant place in the monuments and temples of India.

Written by T.G. Aravamuthan, this book is a notable contribution to the art and history of south Indian archaeology.

Portrait sculptures have been found in various parts of India. Even in the nooks and corners of south India and in its earliest monuments we come across sculptures which are indubitably portraits. Nowhere else in India, has the art been so persistent or drawn more freely from the people as in South India.

A few references in Sanskrit literature are utilised later in discussing the evolution of portrait sculpture. The earliest Tamil literature now available contains indications of the popularity of sculptures portraying human beings. Fully illustrated with samples from various sources, the instinct for portraiture was persistent in the south than in the north.