Gandhāra Art
Gandhāra Art refers to a distinctive artistic tradition that emerged in the region of Gandhāra, located in Central Asia, during the late first and early second centuries CE. This area was characterized by a rich confluence of cultural and religious influences, primarily Buddhist, amid the rule of both Indian emperors and non-Indian dynasties. Notably, Gandhāra Art is recognized for its pioneering anthropomorphic representations of the Buddha, marking a significant departure from the previous aniconic styles. Artists drew inspiration from contemporary Roman artistic conventions, resulting in monumental stone sculptures and stucco bas reliefs that depict key events from the Buddha's life.
The artworks feature a blend of local and Roman elements, including non-Indian motifs like garlands and vine scrolls, and portray figures dressed in modified Roman attire, reflective of the cultural syncretism in the region. The emotional depth of the characters is expressed through dynamic poses and vivid facial expressions, often focusing on themes of suffering and enlightenment. Key features of the Buddha’s iconography in Gandhāra Art, such as specific hand gestures (mudras) and physical attributes like the urna and ushnisha, were established during this period. This art form not only illustrates the evolution of Buddhist iconography but also serves as a testament to the complex interactions between diverse cultural traditions.
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Gandhāra Art
Related civilizations: India, Central Asia.
Date: 100 b.c.e.-700 c.e.
Locale: North India, northwest Pakistan, and the eastern part of Afghanistan
Gandhāra Art
The term Gandhāra (gahn-DAH-rah) art is derived from a geographic region in Central Asia, once the crossroads of different religious and cultural influences. It was a territory ruled by Indian emperors and non-Indian dynasties with a predominantly Buddhist population and with artists who created work in the Roman style of the late first or early second century c.e.
There is strong evidence to support a controversial theory that the earliest anthropomorphic image of Buddha was executed at the same time: the late first or early second century c.e. in Gandhāra (compare the theory of Mathurā origin). This development was instigated by the contemporary Western tradition of depicting divinities in human forms, significantly foreign to the local aniconic representations. In addition to the monumental stone sculptures, the Gandhāra masters produced stone and stucco bas reliefs narrating events from the life of Buddha modeled on the Roman examples. The backgrounds of these works encompass typical non-Indian motifs such as atlases, garlands, laurel wreaths, and vine scrolls. The major figures are dressed according to locally altered Roman fashion, including garments, hairstyles, and adornments. The psychological state of mind of these characters is conveyed by insisting on their physical dynamism and vivid facial expressions. The scenes of starvation, temptation, or death were especially popular. The earliest iconic images of Buddha in Gandhāra art include later standard elements of his hand gestures (mudras) and physical marks of urna (a small protuberance between his eyebrows), and ushnisha (cranial bump on the top of his head).
Bibliography
Marshall, John. The Buddhist Art of Gandhara: The Story of the Early School, Its Birth, Growth, and Decline. Cambridge, England: The Syndics of the Cambridge University Press, 1960.
Nehru, Lolita. Origins of the Gandhara Style: A Study of Contributory Influences. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989.