Q. Gandhara and Mathura Schools of Art.

During the reign of Kushans, India’s most important styles of sculpture were developed. It is
between the 2nd and 5th century CE that the Gandhara School of art and Mathura School of art
came into existence with their separate identity. Among these the Gandhara art mainly
contains those sculptures which presents images of the Buddha from the earliest period.
Earlier the Buddha’s presence was generally represented only through symbols. It can be seen
that Gandhara style of art was tremendously influenced by Hellenistic art. The rise and
growth of the Kushanas as a political power coincided with a great cultural ferment in the
region. The age of maturity in classical art began in Kushana period. Most Indian scholars
believe that the Buddha image originated in Mathura not in Gandhara. Elements of other
religion can also be seen here. The Mathura style is known for Indian sculpture art. We get
information about these schools of art from Vedic text. Vedic text suggests that people started
making images in various postures, with details. Many forms of particular deities are discussed
in the sources. There was some amount of imagination also depicted in these form of art. If we
talk about the types of sculpture based on material, we have sculpture made of wood, Bronze,
Marble, Sand sculpture, stone.
The Gandhara School flourished between the 1st and 5th century CE and continued till the 7th
century in parts of Afganishthan and Kashmir. Most of the Gandhara sculptures are made of
stone; blue schist and green Phyllite. Later from 2nd century onwards Stucco (Lime Plaster)
began to replace stone. The postures in Gandhara School of art are Abhayamudra,
Dhyanamudra, Dharmachakramudra, and Bhumisparshamudra. These postures are sources of
information of uniformity of posture, uniformity of certain lakshans. There has been a lot of
debate in recent times regarding the nature of Gandhara art and sculptures. According to
Upinder Singh, The Gandhara School, like the Kushana coinage marks a marked syncretism, its
theme was Indian but its style Graeco-Roman. Susan Huntington refers to the Gandhara
School as the Bactro- Gandhara School because of its influence from the Bactrian region.
According to scholars like V.A Smith, Ludwig Bachhoffer and A Foucher, the naturalistic
depiction of the Human figure with anatomical precision and physical grace was not the forte of
Indian artists, who are thought to have borrowed these features from contemporary Hellenistic
Art. Such formulation stems from colonial / imperial historiography, according to which foreign
elements imbibed in the Gandhara sculpture placed it on a high pedestal of artistic
achievement and made possible the naturalistic depiction of human face for the first time in
Indian art. However, such a formulation has come under severe criticism by scholars like
Ananda Coomaraswamy and Stella Kramrisch and later by many other scholars.
Coomaraswamy and others point out that though there were several non Indian Stylistic
features in the depiction of Buddha/Bodhisattvas’ figures at Gandhara, these were at most
external attributes. The very basis and theme of this art was deeply rooted to Indian art and
tradition, especially Buddhism. According to Upinder Singh, all these strong indigenous roots
successfully blended many Hellenistic features in the Gandhara art. It combined not merely
Hellenistic feature, but also many west Asiatic and central Asiatic features of the Iranians and
Synthians. According to Partha Mitter, The Gandhara school of Art made only selective use of
western illumination, melding Hellenistic, Roman, Indian and Parthian elements. He further
argues that opposed to the Gandhara illusionism, Mathura developed an alternative short hand
narrative mode for depicting Buddha’s life.
Images of Buddha and Bodhisattva were favourite themes of the Gandhara School hence it is
also referred to as the Graeco Buddhist Art by scholars. In contrast with Mathura School, the
Gandhara School images are known for their anatomical accuracy, spatial depth, and
foreshortening. According to Upinder Singh, the Graeco Roman influence is clear in the facial
features and curly or wavy hair, the Muscular body and the delineated fold of the robes.
According to Susan Huntington, standing Buddha images are very common and usually have
the following features, the Buddha stands barefoot and one leg bent and his heavy robe covers
both shoulders. The Mudras of the Buddha include ‘Dharmachakra Mudra (Teaching pose)’ the
Dhyanamudra and the Abhaya Mudra. The curly hair of the Buddha is tied at the top in the form
of a knot known as the ‘Ushnika’. The Gandhara school also produced many images of the
Buddha seated in meditation. Apart from the Buddha images, the Gandhara artist also sculpted
Bodhisattva images. Maitreya seems to have been portrayed most often. Unlike the Buddha
figures as J.C Harle points out, the Bodhisattvas are heavily ornamented, have elaborate hairdo
and turbans and were sandals.
From the cultural point of view Mathura was very important. Ptolemy mentions Mathura as
the birth place of Lord Krishna, it is an important pilgrimage site for Hindus. There are stylistic
similarities as well as variations between the Gandhara and Mathura schools of art. The
sculptures share iconographic similarities but the style is different. Mathura school is wholly
indigenous and shows no trace of foreign influence. It can, in fact, be seen as a furtherance of
the sculptural traditions of Besnagar, Sanchi and Bharhut. Moreover, the craftsmen of Mathura
were particularly skilled at free-standing sculptures. The themes of the Mathura school of art
are varied, including yakshas, yakshis, nagas, nagis, Buddhas, bodhisattvas, Jaina tirthankaras
and Hindu deities.
A massive image of the Buddha found at Sarnath is considered to be typical of the Mathura
style. There are, in addition, separate images of the bodhisattvas, especially Maitreya,
Vajrapani and Avalokiteshvara. We get Buddha images in two postures- Standing and sitting.
Among the sitting idol one found in katra is among the oldest. The figures have oval or round –
eyed shapes; sharp noses and lips are thik. We can also see the depictions of certain anilmals as
well as human icons. In this school of art there are certain marks of identification behind the
head of the Buddha, there are elements like plants, leaves, birds and animals. We can see the
V- shaped torso in Mathura art. The Right hand seen in abhaya posture, Dharam chakra and tri-
ratna chiselled in palms and at bottom of the feet, and the head is shaven except one lock. The
Mathura school also produced narratives from the Buddha’s life.
Also Jaina images were found at Kankali Tila. These include a pillar fragment with four standing
tirthankaras carved on its sides. In addition, there is a seated tirthankara image with its head
broken. There is some similarity between the tirthankara images and those of the Buddha. Both
sets have long earlobes and some of them share an auspicious mark called urna between the
brows. The differences lie in their nudity, the emblems on their chests, and their postures,
gestures and attributes.
Along with Buddhist and Jaina images, the Mathura school also established the iconographic
traits of the images of Hindu deities in the early centuries AD. Stone sculptures of Shiva,
Vishnu, Surya, Durga and Lakshmi have been discovered in Mathura. For example, Siva, though
he is represented in the linga form, began to be carved in the form of Chaturmukha linga. This
refers to linga with four human faces of the Siva on all four sides. The surya in the Kushana age
is shown riding a chariot driven by two horses. He wears a heavy coat, a dress in the lower half
of the body resembling a salwar, boots, a sword in one hand and a lotus in the other. Balarama
has a heavy turban on his head. Durga in her Mahishasur-mardini form, is depicted as the killer
of buffalo demon. A seated Surya image from Kankali Tila shows West Asian influence in his
moustache, tunic, boots and ringed crown. Shaiva images represent the god either in
anthropomorphic or in aniconic (linga) form, as well as in mukha-lingas and vigraha-lingas. A
number of Yaksha and Yakshini images have been discovered in Mathura. They are associated
with all the three religions - Buddhism, Jainism and Brahmanism. Kubera was another deity
shown with a bulging belly. He is associated with wine and with parties where participants
indulge in drinks.
In Mathura we find plenty of female figures. Female figures shown in various poses; carved on
pillars, tornas, another that shown women bathing under waterfall, drinking from a cup with
swords, and with heavy jewellery. These delightful nude or semi-nude figures are shown in a
variety of toilet scenes or in association with trees, indicating their continuance of the yakshi
(female nature deity) tradition seen also at other Buddhist sites, such as Bharhut and Sanchi. L
If we talk about the differences the Gandhara School was a fusion of
Greco-Roman/Hellenistic and Indian styles. Mathura school was inspired by the early Indian
Buddhist arts of Bharhut and Sanchi and the indigenous Yaksha cultic icons. Gandhara school
use grey sandstone, stucco (lime plaster) in contrast, to red sandstone of Mathura school.
Gandhara school have the muscular, athletic-looking male figures in the sculpture of the
northwest. In contrast, Mathura sculpture have a husky physique and fleshy body. In Gandhara
images, eyes are longer; ear lobes shorter and noses sharper and better defined. Mathura
school of images have longer ear lobes, thicker lips, wider eyes and prominent nose. Capitals in
respective relief is indicative of respective regions. The Gandhara relief have depiction of
Hellenistic Corinthian like capital. In contrast to indigenous capital similar to Patliputra capital,
Mathura, along with inverted horseshoe Mauryan windows/gateways, indicative of Chaitya’s.
Thus, from above we conclude that certain regions developed their own unique art forms. This
development is illustrated by the schools of Gandhara and Mathura. Though most of the
themes in these art forms are religious, we do find nature and man being in a close relationship
by the sculptor. The art specimens certainly give us a glimpse into the social and economic life
of the period. Indian activities during this period were also influenced by art forms. Vigorous
interaction with various non-Indian and the presence of Hellenistic and central Asian elements
in India art of this period shows how enriched Indian culture became through contact with
other contemporary cultures.