Gupta Period: Art and Architecture | History Optional for UPSC (Notes) PDF Download

Forms of Gupta Art: Sculpture

The Gupta period is considered a golden age for North Indian art, with Gupta sculpture striking a balance between the sensuality of Kushan figures and the symbolic abstraction of early medieval art. An abundance of Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain sculptures have been discovered in various locations, often featuring large, near life-size representations of major deities such as Buddha, Vishnu, and Shiva.
Examples:

• A two-meter high bronze statue of Buddha was found in Sultanganj, near Bhagalpur.
• Fa-hien described a colossal 25-meter high copper statue of Buddha, which is now lost.

The three main schools of Gupta sculpture are recognized as Mathura, Varanasi/Sarnath, and to a lesser extent, Nalanda.

Mathura School

• This school, originating in the post-Mauryan period, became one of the two primary schools of Gupta Empire art, alongside Sarnath.
• Mathura sculpture is known for its use of mottled red stone and later pink sandstone, demonstrating high levels of execution and delicacy, with a focus on calm and serenity.
• Artistic details are often less realistic, with symbolic elements like shell-like curls for Buddha's hairstyle and ornate halos around Buddha's heads.
• The Gupta period saw an expansion of the Buddhist pantheon, emphasizing the Buddha and new deities, such as Bodhisattvas and Brahmanical divinities, with less focus on the life events of Buddha.

Examples:

• Statue of Vishnu, 5th century, Mathura
• Head of a Buddha, 6th century
• Standing Buddha (434 CE), Mathura

Sarnath School

• A new school that emerged in Sarnath during the Gupta period.
• Focuses on Buddhist themes, with images of Buddha, Bodhisattvas, and scenes from Buddha's life.
• Characterized by stone sculptural art, both in 3D and relief formats.
• Noted for refined details in faces, halos, and robes, with highly ornamented halos.
• Buddha figures often depicted in transparent dress with clinging drapery, revealing body forms underneath, sometimes giving an impression of nudity.
• Buddha's facial features are marked by gentle smiles and expressions of peace and tranquility, with a sense of introspection and contemplation.
• Different mudras (hand gestures) of Buddha include Dhyanmudra, Bhumisparsha mudra, Abhay Mudra, and dharmachakra pravartana mudra.
• Notable for its yellowish sandstone from Chunar, devoid of foreign influences seen in Mathura.

Other Areas

• Nalanda: In the 6th century BCE, Gupta sculptural qualities in Nalanda began to deteriorate, with figures becoming heavier and more metal-based. This evolution suggests the emergence of a third school of Gupta art in Nalanda and Pataliputra, alongside Mathura and Varanasi.
• Udayagiri Caves/Vidisha: The earliest sculptures in a fully developed early Gupta style come from the rock-cut Udayagiri Caves and the surrounding area near Vidisha. Despite the caves being largely unremarkable architecturally, rock relief panels around the entrances, featuring large deities, are notable for their crude yet impactful style.
• Terracotta Sculpture: Fine quality terracotta sculptures, consistent in style across the empire, are found throughout the Gupta period. Examples include large relief panels at Bhitargaon and elegant pairs of river goddesses from Ahichchhatra.
• Sculpture in Metal: The over life-size copper Sultanganj Buddha is the only significant metal statue from the Gupta period, created using lost-wax casting and comparable to earlier stone Buddha figures from the Sarnath school. Other notable metal sculptures include the Brahma from Mirpur Khas.
• Coins and Metalwork: Gupta coins are regarded as art pieces, well-designed and meticulously crafted, often depicting the rulers' activities. Samudragupta's gold coins, such as the lyrist type, reflect his interests. Gupta coinage began with Samudragupta, with significant increases in coinage during this period due to trade relations with the Roman Empire. Gupta coins initially resembled Kushana types but later became Indianized in style and subject matter. The Guptas were known for their gold coins, with silver coins being less common and copper or bronze coins being scarce. The silver coinage imitated Western Satraps but incorporated the Gupta peacock symbol. Kumaragupta and Skandagupta continued old coin types while introducing new designs. The gradual decline in gold coin design and execution and the disappearance of silver money reflect territorial reductions.

Architecture in the Gupta Period

Temples

• The Gupta period marks the beginning of Indian temple architecture, with the first structured temples being built in North India during this time. These early temples laid the foundation for the Nagara architectural style.
• Temples in this period typically featured a central image of the chief deity. The evolution of temple architecture during the Gupta period can be divided into two distinct phases:

Features in Phase 1: 4th and 5th Centuries:

• Small Structures: Temples were generally small in size.
• Garbhagriha (Sanctum): The inner sanctum where the deity is housed.
• Mandapa: An assembly hall with pillars, typically an open space.
• Pillars: Pillars often had bell-shaped capitals.
• Square Plan: Most temples had a square layout.
• Flat Roof: The roofs were generally flat.
• Examples: Notable temples from this phase include the Eran temple, Sanchi temple, and Tigwa temple, all located in Madhya Pradesh.
• Absence of Ornamentation: Both the exterior and interior walls of the temples were devoid of ornamentation.

Features in Phase 2: 6th Century AD:

• Square Ground Plan: Temples featured a distinct square ground plan known as cruciform.
• Mandapa and Garbhagriha: The basic components of the temple layout remained, but with more distinct forms.
• Pillars: Pillars with bell capitals continued to be a characteristic feature.
• Ornamentation: Walls, especially exterior walls, began to feature ornamentation.
• Decorated Doorways: Doorways were elaborately decorated.
• Antral (Vestibule): A structure connecting the garbhagriha with the mandap, as seen in temples like the Bhitargaon temple.
• Tower (Shikhar): The temple tower, known for its curvilinear shape, was a notable feature.
• Panchayatana Style: A style exemplified by temples like the Deogarh temple.
• Nagara Style: This architectural style emerged during this phase, with examples found in places like Deogarh and Bhitargaon in Uttar Pradesh.

Cave Architecture

During the Gupta period, there was a notable hiatus in Indian rock-cut architecture. The first wave of construction had concluded before the rise of the Gupta Empire, and the second wave began in the late 5th century, towards the end of the Gupta period. This is evident in sites like the Ajanta Caves, where an early group of caves was made by around 220 CE, and a later group was likely constructed after 460 CE.

Ajanta Caves:

• The Ajanta Caves represent Buddhist rock-cut architecture and were constructed in two phases: the earlier phase under the Satavahanas and the later phase under the Vakatakas during the Gupta period.
• Out of the total 29 caves, 4 are Chaityas (prayer halls), namely Cave 9, Cave 10, Cave 19, and Cave 26. The rest are Viharas (monasteries).
• Some caves feature both single-story and two-story structures.
• Paintings are found in only 6 caves: Cave 1, 2, 9, 10, 16, and 17.
• Facades of some caves are ornamented, with a unique feature known as Chandrasala (a large semicircular window) in some caves like 19 and 26.
• Engravings include Buddhist and folk themes, such as images of the Buddha, scenes from the Jataka tales, and events from the Buddha's life.
• In Cave 26, notable engravings include the reclining Buddha, symbolizing his parinirvana, and the depiction of the scene "Maravijaya," where the Buddha triumphs over the evil spirit Mara.
• Ajanta art is celebrated for its blend of architecture, sculpture, and painting.

Bagh Caves and Udaygiri Caves:

• Bagh Caves: There are 9 caves in Bagh, characterized by simple and plain structures with limited ornamentation. Some caves have pillars, and a few feature paintings.
• Udaygiri Caves: There are 20 caves at Udaygiri, some rock-cut and some stone-built. These caves have Brahmanical/Hindu affiliations, with engravings of deities such as Vishnu, Durga, and Varaha.

Stupa Architecture

• During the Gupta period, the construction of two significant Buddhist stupas – the Dhamekh Stupa at Sarnath and the stupa at Jarasangha meeting in Rajgriha – is believed to have taken place.
• The Dhamekh Stupa stands 128 feet high, built on a flat surface without a platform, and features takhs (stone supports) at its four corners for holding Buddhist statues.
• In Nalanda, a Buddhist university was established in the 5th century, constructed using bricks. 

Painting

Ajanta Paintings:

• At Ajanta, it is believed that established teams of painters were commissioned to decorate caves as needed.
• Paintings are present in six caves, including both chaityas (prayer halls) and viharas (monasteries).
• These paintings adorn walls, ceilings, door frames, and pillars.
• There is a notable difference in format and colors between ceiling paintings and those on door frames and pillars.
• White is predominantly used on ceilings, while it is less common on walls.
• Paintings lack clear framing, with scenes merging into one another.
• Techniques such as ‘multiple perspective’ and foreshortening are evident.
• Highlighting certain facial features, such as the nose and eyebrows, is a common practice, creating a luminous glow on specific parts of the face.
• Paintings exhibit stylistic variations, indicating the work of different artists.
• Generally, the paintings are multi-colored, using six main colors: white, red, yellow, black, green, and blue, along with blends of these colors.
• The themes depicted are primarily Buddhist, with narrative paintings illustrating events from Buddha’s life, scenes from the Jataka tales, and figures of Bodhisattvas, particularly Avalokiteshvara (Padmapani).
• Other depictions include yakshas, yakshinis, apsaras, gandharvas, and a panorama of ancient Indian life, showing women at home, workers, peasants, animals, trees, flowers, ascetics, and beggars.
• The human figures in Ajanta paintings are slender, well-proportioned, and elegantly graceful, with women characterized by arched eyebrows and elongated eyes. Their costumes, ornaments, and hairstyles reflect refinement and sophistication.

Bagh Paintings:

• Paintings are found in Cave 4 and Cave 5 at Bagh.
• These paintings are both religious and secular in nature.
• Some paintings depict processions with people riding horses and elephants, scenes of grieving princes, conversations between divine and princely figures, monks and devotees playing musical instruments, and beautiful birds and animals.
• Floral decorations are also depicted in some scenes.

Other Forms of Art

• Music: A coin from the Samudragupta period, featuring a lyrist type, suggests that he was a skilled musician. One of Samudragupta's coins even shows him playing the vina (lyre).
• Drama: Diverse Sanskrit plays were composed during this time, such as "Abhigyanshakuntalam" and "vikramorvasiyam" by Kalidas, "Mudrarakshasha" by Vishakhadutta, and "Mricchakatika" by Shudraka.

Differences Between Gupta and Mauryan Art:

• Most Mauryan sculptures and architectures were linked to the King and court, like Ashokan pillars, Stupas, and Barabar Caves. In contrast, there is no evidence that Gupta sculptures, architectures, and caves were built under royal direction.
• Mauryan art marks the shift from wood to stone, while Gupta art signifies the transition from stone to bricks.
• The Mauryan period saw the beginning of cave architecture, whereas temple architecture emerged during the Gupta period.
• Large stone pillars were a feature of the Mauryan period, while the Gupta period is known for the iron pillar, like the Mehrauli pillar from Chandragupta II's time.
• Mauryan coins, primarily punch-marked, lack the artistic elegance of Gupta coins. For instance, Samudragupta's coins, like the lyrist type, indicate a tradition of music not seen in the Mauryan period.
• Gupta arts represent an evolution of earlier art forms from the Mauryan and post-Mauryan periods, while Mauryan art is seen as pioneering the art forms of its time.
• Brahmanical images are absent in Mauryan art, and painting art is not present in Mauryan works, whereas Gupta painting reached its peak.