Difference between Gandhara and Mathura School of Art

Buddhism expanded significantly during the early Christian era (1st and 2nd centuries) and sparked a revitalised artistic desire to portray Buddha's message, resulting in the creation of three primary schools of sculpture in India, each with its own styles and differences. The Gandhara school of art, the Mathura school of art, and the Amaravati school of art were called after the cities where they flourished. Under the Kushana dynasty, the Gandhara and Mathura Schools of Art flourished. They happened at the same time. The Gandhara School, on the other hand, was the first to represent Lord Buddha in human form. Afghanistan's Bamiyan Buddha is part of the Gandhara School of Art. For a long period, the Mathura art Buddha as a symbol before moving on to the human form.

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Painting, sculpture, pottery, and textile arts such as woven silk are among the many kinds of Indian art. It covers the whole Indian subcontinent, including what is now India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and, on occasion, eastern Afghanistan. Indian art is known for its great sense of design, which can be seen in both modern and traditional forms. The origins of Indian art may be traced back to the 3rd millennium BC ancient settlements. Indian art has been influenced by cultural as well as religious influences such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Islam on its way to modern times. This article will cover what is the difference between Gandhara and Mathura School of art?

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What is the Gandhara School of Art?

The Gandhara school of art was one of the most important schools of art in ancient India's history. Despite being an important element of Indian history, it is most closely connected with the Greco-Roman art style. The Gandhara School of painting emerged as a consequence of the fusion of these Greco-Roman and Indian concepts, as well as the impact of other foreign traditions such as those from China and Iran. The major topic of this type of painting was Lord Buddha and Bodhisattvas, as it was closely associated with Mahayana Buddhism. As a result, it's possible that this style was Indian in thought and conception but alien in execution. The Bamiyan Buddha sculptures are an example of Gandhara style art. It thrived mostly in Afghanistan and present-day North-Western India. Taxila, Peshawar, Begram, and Bamiyan were among the most prominent places. The Gandhara school of art existed from the 1st century BCE until the 4th century CE. Black stone and stucco were used extensively. Stucco was a type of plaster used for a variety of constructions, including freestanding structures in this style of art. Many chaityas, Viharas, and stupas were among the free-standing buildings. During the construction of monasteries and stupas, Gandhara Architecture flourished.

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Buddhist Monasteries- In the early centuries of the Christian period, a great number of Buddhist monasteries were erected. Around 15 monasteries have been discovered in the vicinity of Peshawar and Rawalpindi, with more than 50 in the Kabul valley alone.

Buddhist Stupas- The Graeco-Roman architectural influence changed the stupa's construction. The stupa was evolved from a traditional Indian design into an architectural composition with exquisite proportions and character. The stupa's height was further increased by erecting it on a high platform and extending its main body skyward. The stupa's construction was also embellished with plastic embellishments. All of this contributed to the stupa's vibrant and striking look.

The fundamental topic of the Gandhara school may be described as a new kind of Buddhism known as Mahayanism, and its most significant contribution was the development of a Buddha image.

What is the Mathura School of Art?

Initially, a sophisticated type of symbolism was prevalent in the Gandhara style, but the Mathura style departed from it by creating the practice of converting Buddhist symbols into human form in accordance with Kanishka's rule. An indigenous form of sculpture evolved in Mathura, which mostly employed red sandstone. The images of Vaishnava and Shaiva religions, as well as Buddhist images, are prominent in the Mathura style, which is known for its assimilative character. The representations of Siva and Vishnu, as well as their consorts Parvathi and Lakshmi, were carved out in the Mathura school, and the feminine forms of yakshinis and apsaras were also carved out wonderfully. It's worth noting that the pictures of Shiva and Vishnu were created by their respective ayudhas (weapons). The Jain Tirthankars' records can also be found in Mathura Style. Sarnath and Kausambi developed as significant centres of art creation in the Mathura School of art, which is known for its liveliness and assimilationist nature, although Mathura remained the principal art production location. Many Buddha statues in Sarnath feature basic translucent drapery covering both shoulders and a very simple halo around the head, but the Mathura Buddha images continue to portray folds in the drapery and the halo around the head is heavily decorated.

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Jaina Images - Many sculptures of cross-legged nude Tirthankaras in meditation carved by Mathura artisans suggest that the Mathura style was influenced by Jainism in its early stages.

Buddhist Images - The early Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the Mathura school are meaty forms with little spirituality, but they grew in elegance and religious emotion throughout time.

Brahmanical Images - The Mathura artisans carved out images of Brahmanical deities as well. Siva and Vishnu, two popular Brahmanical gods, were shown both alone and with their consorts, Parvati and Lakshmi. Many more Brahmanical deities had their images properly reproduced in stone.

Royal statues - The majority of Kushana royal sculptures were discovered at Mat (near Mathura), where the Kushana rulers built a winter palace with a chapel dedicated to the memory of previous emperors and princes. Almost all of the figures have been shattered by subsequent regimes, and the most spectacular of the sculptures, the colossal Kanishka, is now without its head.

What is the Difference between Gandhara and Mathura School of art?

Let’s discuss the difference between Gandhara and Mathura school of art,

Buddhism expanded during the early Christian era (1st and 2nd centuries), resulting in the creation of three primary schools of sculpture in India. Painting, sculpture, pottery, and textile arts such as woven silk are among the many kinds of Indian art. The stupa was evolved from a traditional Indian design into an architectural composition. Sarnath and Kausambi developed as significant centers of art creation in the Mathura School of art. The images of Vaishnava and Shaiva religions, as well as Buddhist images, are prominent in Mathura.