Sculpture in India

Gandhara sculpture

Gandhara art is a form of sculpture that flourished in India during the time of Kanishka. This style of sculpture was formed as a result of the fusion of Greco-Roman sculpture and Indian sculpture. It is also called Yavana-Buddhist art. The main center of Gandhara art was Peshawar. A large part of Gandhara art is Buddhist statues. The idols of Buddha and Bodhisattvas are depicted in a very beautiful manner in the style of the god Apollo. The human body was depicted realistically , meticulously , without leaving even the wrinkles of the clothes. The subject matter of Gandhara art is Indian and the style is Greco-Roman. Therefore, it is said that the Gandhara artist had the heart of an Indian and the hands of a Greek. Gandhara art inspired the growth of Mahayana Buddhism. The growth of Gandhara art and Mahayana, which began to worship Buddha as a deity, was almost simultaneous. Sculpture that developed in various parts of India has drawn inspiration from Gandhara art.

Mathura Sculpture

Mathura had already begun to develop as a centre of art in the first century BC. The arrival of the Kushans accelerated this growth. But Mathura was mainly a centre of indigenous art. Mathura followed a style of art that was largely independent of Gandhara art. Many statues of Kushana kings have been found in Mathura. Among these, the headless statue of Kanishka is particularly notable. This is the most famous statue in the Mathura style of art. Mathura artists also made beautiful Buddha statues. Many stone statues of Mahavira were also made here. Mathura art flourished in the first centuries AD. The sculptures here made of red sandstone have been found outside Mathura. The largest collection of Indian sculptures from the Kushan period is now in Mathura.

Gupta art

The Gupta period witnessed unprecedented artistic activities. The Guptas made great contributions in the fields of sculpture , painting , and architecture. The art forms achieved perfection. And new aesthetic concepts about forms were formed. Gupta art had some characteristics. There was no foreign influence in Gupta art. It was free from Greek influence. The Greek character that was evident in the Gandhara art style disappeared during the Gupta period. Simplicity and originality are another characteristic of Gupta art. The idols and buildings built during this period attract attention with their simplicity. They are built in a completely original style. Gupta art has a spiritual nature. The main inspiration for the works of art was religion. Along with spirituality, beauty and nobility were the main characteristics of Gupta art. These features can be seen in the Buddha statues found at Sarnath. The Gupta period sculptors made many Buddha statues in stone and metal. These were different from the Gandhara statues. Instead of the shaved heads of the Kushana period Buddha statues, the Gupta artists made statues with curly hair. They also introduced the style of decorating the halo behind the Buddha statues. The spiritual serenity of the face and eyes was given more importance than physical beauty. These features can be seen in the famous Buddha statues at Sarnath , Mathura (standing Buddha) and Sultanganj. The idols of Vishnu and Shiva were first made during the Gupta period. The myths and legends of Brahmanism and the epics of Rama and Krishna were visualized with extraordinary perfection. We have images of almost all the gods from various places. Of these, the idols of Vishnu and Shiva are excellent works of art.