GANDHARA SCHOOL OF ART,MATHURA SCHOOL OF ART,AMRAVATI SCHOOL OF ART:Different School of Arts A Detail note of Art and Sculptures of Ancient India

 

GANDHARA SCHOOL OF ART :IAS Notes 

The influence on this art was mainly Hellenistic in context of style and Buddhist in context of religion.

The main centers were Peshawar, Jalalabad, Taxila,Bamiyan, Begram and Shah-Ji-hi-Dheri, where we find the remains of this art form. 

The material employed is usually a dark grey slate in the beginning and the Buddha of the Gandhara artists resembles the Greek God Apollo. 

GANDHARA SCHOOL OF ARTS

The main patrons of this art form

were the Kushanas and Shakas. Distinctive features of Gandhara School of Art are as follows

Realistic representation of human figures (also

the hallmark of this art form) clearly indicating limbs and other organs of body i.e. the representation was proto-type of human body.

In realistic representation, the anatomical

accuracy was emphasised.

Distinguished muscles constituted a distinctive part of the images made under this art.

The hairstyle was curly, which represents Greek

influence.

The drapery was transparent and here we find a beautiful harmony between the drapery and physical features of human body.

One excellent example was the Bamiyan Buddha of Afghanistan.

Grey sandstone is used in Gandhara School of Art and the other materials used were mud, lime. Marble was not used.

THE VARIOUS MUDRAS OF BUDDHA

IN GANDHARA ART

All the Buddhas depicted in the Gandhara art, are Shown making four types of hand gestures and this is A remaykable feature in this art. These are as follows

 Abhayamudra : Don’t fear

 Dhyanamudra : Meditation

 Dharmachakramudra : A preaching mudra

 Bhumisparshamudra : Touching the Earth

 

MATHURA SCHOOL OF ARTS:IAS Notes 

The origin of Mathura art form is traced back to 2^nd Century BC. The influence on this art form was a Mixed one. All the three main religions of the time i.e. Buddhism, Jainism and Brahmanism influenced this art form in one way or the other. This influence provided the subject matter and content to this school. But also we find influence from Jainism and later on Brahmanism and Buddhism.

The Hellenistic or Greek influence on this style was Absent to a great extent. The Mathura School of Art,Was not only religious, but also secular, (absent in The Gandhara School of Art). various patterns of life were portrayed e.g. we have scenery from forests, where men and women are collecting flowers, women playing with cranes and Offering fruits to birds, womens playing in garden and water tanks etc.

Aristocratic elements to some extent were present in the Mathura art. This art form was also associated with the ruling groups and here we find the images Of kings and prominent persons, associated with the

Ruling class. Statues of rulers and many head of

 Scythian dignitaries have been found at Mat village in Mathura. These discoveries indicate that

Mathura was the most important centre of the

 Eastern part of the Kushana empire. The chief

 Patron of this art form were Kushana and

 Chief material was white spotted red sandstone. The Main centre was Mathura and its adjoining areas but It spread far and wide.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF MATHURA SCHOOL

Images were grand and solid, the masculine beauty

Was discernible and body was firm.

 The eroticism is discernible in the images which was given beautiful expression through physical features.

The images also show a religious influence.

Spirituality was expressed in the images.

The halo of its Buddha image has its foliated scron,

Rosettes, geese designs etc.

We also find images of the Brahmanical God and Goddesses such as Shiva, Lakshmi, Surya,Brahma, Vishnu, Kubera etc.

The earliest images of Buddha and Bodhisattvas are found in this school. 

The Buddha was portrayed As head and face shaven, right hand in Abhaya posture and tight dress.

Image started getting fashioned in round so that they could be Seen from every side.

Various images of  Jiina Tirthankara such as crossed legged naked

Tirthankara like Rishabnatha, Parsvanath etc are associated with this school.  The Kushana kings such as Kanishka and Wima Kadphises were Shown in Central Asian atires. 

An important finding is tlie headless image of Kanishka from village Mat in Mathura.

This art form to some extent influenced Amravati School of Art.

 Mathura school also produced the beautiful images of yaksha and

 Yakshini, produced beautiful female figures, which were very remarkable.

A particular kind of Mathura sculpture is represented by votive Slabs known as Ayagapatas.

Mathura School of Art vs Gandhara School of Art

Factor Mathura School Origin . No foreign influence,However, later it cross Fertllised wlth the Gandhara school Its development took Place lndigenously totally lnspired by Yaksha Images Gandhara School Strong Greek influence

It was based on Graeco-Roman

 Norms. It is known as ~reco-~uddhist

 School of Art.Assimilating various traits of

 Achaemanian, Parthian and Bactrian

 Traditions into the local tradition.

 Inspired by Hellenistic features.

 Material . Spotted red sandstone.

 Used Blue-grey mica schistlgrey Sandstone.

 Image . Early period light – Finer details and realistic images.

 

Features volume, having a fleshy . Buddha carved out in various Body Mudras.

 Later period Flashiness . Curly hair, anatomical accuracy,reduced. Spatial depth and fore shortening.

Not much attention to . Buddha is sometimes thin.

 Detailed sculpting.

 Buddha is stout.

 Halo The halo around the Not decorated.

 Head of Buddha was

 Profusely decorated.

 Images are less The images are very expressive.

 Expressive.

 

AMRAVATI SCHOOL OF ART:IAS Notes 

 

Its patronised first by Satavahanas and Ikshvakus. The main centers

 

Were Nagarjunakonda, Ghantasala, Amaravati, Jaggay-Yapeta etc.

 

Chief material used was white marble.

The principle influence in this case was that of Buddhist themes.

Physical beauty was elegantly expressed in images. Images shows

Sexual expressions. White marble was used in Amaravati School of

Art and Buddhist Jatakas were the popular subject of Amaravati style.

 The most popular to be depicted are Buddha’s descent from heaven in

 The form of white elephant, the great renunciation, scene of

 Temptation, the first sermon and the Mahaparinirvana represented

 By the stupa. It focusses upon human beings, but the representation is more narrative rather than individualistic. The kings, princes etc were represented through images. But, this representation does not focus upon the individual presence of king or princes. Rather, the king was associated with various activities and shown in a group. Notable achievements were the female figure in different moods and poses.

SCHOLARS OF THE PERIOD:

Ashvaghosha Books on Saundaranand,

Buddhacharita, Sariputra, Prakarana and

Vijrasuchi.

Nagarjuna It also known as Indian Einstein

for propounding the Theory of Relativity in

his book PrajanaParamita Sutra Shastra.

Vasumitra Book on Buddhist philosophy titled

Mahavibhasa Shastra. 

Charak Samhita.

Patanjali Book on grammar Mahabhasya.

Gunadhya Brihatkatha in Paisachi dialect.

Hala Gathasaptasati.

Sarvaraman Katantra (Sanskrit grammar).

Bhasa Swapna-Vasavadatta, Ravanabadh,

Vrubhanga (Sanskrit play).

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Much progress was made in the field of

metallurgy. The presence of Greek engineers

in Kushana court shows an exchange in this

field. Engineering skills in the building of

dams and irrigation tanks are evident from

their remains.

Geometry seems to have been well developed

and it was applied widely. In the field of

astronomy, Greek influence was quite evident

from the text Panch Siddhantika. Indian

medicine made remarkable progress during

this period, Charaka wrote Charaka samhita.

The school at Varanasi specialised in Surgery

and Sushrita Samhita an encyclopaedia of

surgery compiled by sushruta. He stayed at the

Court of Kanishka.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISCOVERIES
IN POST-MAURYAN PERIOD:

A Greek sailor, Hippalus, discovered the

monsoon sea route to India from West Asia

in 46-47 AD.

New Ports Bharauch and Bar Bairicum on

Western coast, Aricamedu/Podeku (according

to Periplus) on Eastern coast near Pondicherry.

Bullion was flowing out of Rome to India.

This statement was made by Pliny.

Geographica by Strabo.

Works by Ptolemy.

Natural History by Pliny.

Periplus of the Erythraean Sea Unknown.

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