Hinduism, one of the great religions of the world, has a long and rich history of depicting the divine in art. Originating in India in remote antiquity, it is a polytheistic system with a myriad of gods and goddesses.
The challenge for artists was not a shortage of subject matter, but rather how to give form to beings that by their very natures are formless. Relying mainly on sacred religious texts wherein the exploits of the gods and goddesses are told and retold, certain tales and episodes became favorites for illustration, and standard iconographies were established for specific deities.