Gandhara School of Arts | History Optional for UPSC (Notes) PDF Download

Gandhara School of Arts / Greco-Buddhist Art

The Gandhara School of Art, also known as Greco-Buddhist art, emerged when Indian artisans interacted with Central Asians, Greeks, and Romans, particularly in the northwestern frontier of India, in a region called Gandhara. This cultural exchange led to the creation of a new artistic style where images of the Buddha were crafted in the Graeco-Roman style, even influencing the depiction of his hair.

• Greco-Buddhist art represents the fusion of Classical Greek culture and Buddhism over nearly a thousand years in Central Asia. This cultural blend began with the conquests of Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC and continued until the Islamic conquests in the 7th century AD.
• During this period, numerous monasteries were constructed, particularly between the 1st and 4th centuries A.D. Archaeological findings have revealed the ruins of about fifteen monasteries in and around present-day Peshawar and Rawalpindi.
• The Buddhist stupas built during this era were significantly influenced by Graeco-Roman architecture. Modifications included raising the height of the stupa and adding decorative elements, making these structures more visually appealing.

Origin Place and Period of Development

• The Gandhara school of art originated in the region around Peshawar in northwestern India.
• Greco-Buddhist art began in the Hellenistic Greco-Bactrian kingdom(250 BC-130 BC), located in present-day Afghanistan. From there, Hellenistic culture spread into the Indian subcontinent, especially during the period of the Indo-Greek kingdom(180 BC-10 BC).
• In Gandhara, under the rule of the Indo-Greeks and the Kushans, a unique blend of Greek and Buddhist cultures emerged. This art form later influenced regions like Mathura and the Hindu art of the Gupta empire, which spread across South-East Asia.
• Greco-Buddhist art also moved northward to Central Asia, impacting the art of the Tarim Basin and eventually reaching China, Korea, and Japan.
• The peak of Gandhara sculpture occurred in the first and second centuries A.D. While it began under the Indo-Greek rulers, the primary supporters of this art were the Sakas and the Kushanas, especially Kanishka. Examples of Gandhara sculpture have been discovered in Taxila, Peshawar, and various locations in northwestern India.

Salient Features

• The Gandhara style of art in sculpture was a blend of Greco-Roman and Indian influences.
• The Gandhara school, heavily influenced by Greek techniques, focused on spiritual figures sculpted mainly in grey with meticulous attention to anatomical details.
• Also known as the Graeco-Buddhist School of art, the Gandharan Buddha image drew inspiration from Hellenistic realism, infused with elements from Persian, Scythian, and Parthian traditions.
• The primary theme of the Gandhara school was Buddhism, producing sculptures of the Buddha in various sizes, shapes, and postures.
• Reliefs illustrated significant events in Buddha's life, such as his birth, renunciation, and preaching.
• The central focus was on the new form of Buddhism known as Mahayanism and the evolving image of the Buddha.
• Sculptors aimed for anatomical accuracy, spatial depth, and foreshortening in Buddhist images.
• Buddha images often resembled the Greek god Apollo, with realistic portrayals of the human body, emphasizing physical features like muscles, moustaches, and curly or wavy hair.
• Rich carving, elaborate ornamentation, and symbolic expressions characterized Gandhara art.
• Unlike in Mathura art, where the Buddha is depicted as robust, the Gandharan Buddha is sometimes portrayed as very thin.
• Thick drapery with large, bold fold lines was a common feature.
• Gandhara art placed greater emphasis on bodily features and external beauty.
• Over time, Mathura and Gandhara arts influenced each other, leading to a shift from the bulky Mathura Buddha to the slender elegance of the Gandharan image.
• This synthesis refined and purified the Buddha image, setting the standard for the Gupta period.
• The Gupta style later became the model for Southeast Asian Buddha images.
• Some Greco-Buddhist friezes depict groups of donors or devotees, offering insights into the cultural identity of those involved in the Buddhist cult.

Material Used

• The primary material used in the Gandhara School of Art is grey sandstone. Notable examples include the Bamyan Buddhas in Afghanistan.
• Other materials utilized include mud, lime, and stucco. However,marble was not employed in Gandhara art.
• Terracotta was used infrequently.
• Stucco offered artists a medium with great plasticity, allowing for a high degree of expressiveness in sculptures.

The Various Mudras of Buddha in Gandhara Art

A notable characteristic of Gandhara Art is the depiction of Buddha making four specific hand gestures, known as mudras. 
These gestures are as follows:

• Abhayamudra: This mudra signifies "Don't fear."
• Dhyanamudra: Representing meditation.
• Dharmachakramudra: This mudra is associated with preaching.
• Bhumisparshamudra: Symbolizing "Touching the earth."

Gandhara Art Under the Kushana Empire

Flourishing of Gandhara Art:

• Gandhara art saw its first major growth in India during the Kushana rule, particularly under Kanishka, who was a significant supporter of art and architecture.
• During Kanishka's reign, the Gandhara School of art thrived.

Kushana Influence on Art:

• The Kushans, positioned at the center of the Silk Road, collected various works of art from different parts of the ancient world. This is evidenced by the hoards discovered in their northern capital at the archaeological site of Begram, Afghanistan.
• The Kushans promoted Buddhism alongside other Iranian and Hindu religions. Under their rule, many depictions of Bodhisattvas emerged, characterized by intricate details and a realistic Greco-Buddhist style.
• The Bodhisattvas, central to the Mahayana form of Buddhism, were depicted with features resembling Kushan princes.

Kushan Coins and Artistic Style:

• Despite the artistic achievements, Kushan coins reveal a lack of sophistication. The images of kings, such as Kanishka, often appear crude, lacking proportion and detail.
• The representation of the Buddha on these coins seems to blend elements from Hellenistic statues, with exaggerated features, suggesting that Kushan artists were influenced by earlier Greco-Buddhist models but deviated in execution.

Gandhara School of Art and Greek-Roman Influence

Development and Patronage:

• The Gandhara School of art emerged in the post-Maurya period, particularly during the reign of Kushana emperor Kanishka.
• Both the Shakas and Kushanas were important patrons of this school.

Subject Matter and Greek Influence:

• While the subject matter of Gandhara art is mainly Buddhist, many sculptural motifs exhibit a strong Greco-Roman influence.
• The mother of Buddha is depicted similarly to an Athenian matron.
• Some early images of the Buddha display Apollonian features.
• Greek gods are shown paying respects to the Buddha.

Other Greek Influences:

• Artistic beauty and halo around Buddha.
• Features such as masculine Buddha, natural realism, broad forehead, long earlobes, curly or wavy hair, mustache, beard, muscular build.

Roman Influence:

• Dresses of many Buddhas are styled like the Roman toga.
• Deeply delineated folds in the robes of the Buddha reflect Roman artistic styles.

Other Greco-Roman Influences:

• Facial features of the Buddha, such as protruding eyeballs, elongated eyes, half-closed eyes, elongated face, and sharp nose.
• Many ordinary people depicted in various scenes also show characteristics of distinct Greco-Roman style.

Despite the significant foreign influences on Gandhara art, it also developed unique features with indigenous elements.

Influence of Gandhara Arts on other Indian Arts

• Many Mathura sculptures show Hellenistic features like idealistic realism, curly hair, and folded garments.
• Mathura adaptations reflect local conditions with clothing that drapes more fluidly, often covering just one shoulder. Facial types also become more Indian.
• The Mathura School blends old Indian art from Bharut and Sanchi with classical influences from Gandhara.

Influence on Amaravati Art":

• Greek art's influence extends to Amaravati, where Greek scrolls are combined with Indian deities, and motifs like Greek chariots are present.
• Mathura art gradually became more Indian and reached high sophistication during the Gupta Empire (4th to 6th century AD), considered the peak of Indian Buddhist art.
• Hellenistic elements are seen in the purity of statuary and clothing folds but are enhanced by delicate draping.
• Artistic details, like the shell-like curls for Buddha's hairstyle, become less realistic.

Main Differences Between Mathura School of Arts and Gandhara School of Arts

Origin:

• Mathura School: Developed indigenously with no foreign influence initially. Later, it cross-fertilized with the Gandhara School.
• Gandhara School: Strongly influenced by Greek culture, based on Greco-Roman norms. Known as the Graeco-Buddhist School of art, it assimilated various traits from Achaemenian, Parthian, and Bactrian traditions into the local tradition, initially inspired by Hellenistic features.

Material Used:

• Mathura School: Used spotted red sandstone for sculptures.
• Gandhara School: Utilized blue-grey mica schist or grey sandstone.

Image Features:

• Mathura School: In the early period, sculptures featured light volume with fleshy bodies. In the later period, the flashiness was reduced. Buddha was carved in various mudras, with less attention to detailed sculpting and a stout appearance.
• Gandhara School: Emphasized finer details and realistic images. Buddha was also carved in various mudras but with curly hair, anatomical accuracy, spatial depth, and foreshortening. Buddha figures were sometimes depicted as thin.

Halo:

• Mathura School: The halo around the Buddha's head was profusely decorated, and the images were less expressive.
• Gandhara School: The halo was generally not decorated, and the images were highly expressive.