Introduction
Over decades art historians discussed the question about the first anthropomorphic images of Buddha and its Greco-Roman influence. Modern case studies have shown that this particular type of Buddha statue is made in Gandhara style which has its peculiarities and history. Taking into account all the aspects of a given period combined with the stylistic patterns of an analyzed object, it is considered to show the historical and artistic significance of the statue.
Main text
The statue under analysis with the title “Buddha, Gandhara” is dated back to the 1st or 2nd century CE is made in pure Hellenistic style and technique (Figure 1). The author is unknown. The statue is made in marble to increase the realistic effect. While analyzing stylistic characteristics it should be stated that the statue is made in “lively, narrative mode”. The Gandharan artists tried to make “emphasis on the laity, on devotionals, and the need for a savior” while at the same timelines and shapes of the statue reflects religious preferences of the Greeks “who were accustomed to an anthropomorphic religion” (Blair 4).
The significance of an analyzed artwork is huge due to a couple of reasons. Firstly, the Gandhara School of art represents the mixture of two cultures – Greek and Indian. On the one hand, is situated in the Middle East (Gandhara region is modern Afghanistan and Pakistan) the school was influenced mainly by Greek culture which was historically grounded – “from the time of Alexander the Great’s invasion in the fourth century BCE to the rise of the Sassanids in the third century CE” (Marshall 34). On the other hand, Gandhara was the origin of many of the monks who brought Buddhism to East Asia. Thus, due to its mixed nature, Gandharan Buddhism in some way had deformed the traditional Buddhist sculpture.
Secondly, it is also should be stated that Hellenistic culture played an important role in creating such statues as “Buddha, Gandhara”. The Milindapanha, which presumably reflects the northwestern Indian attitude towards the Greeks, notes that in Menander’s capital “streets, squares, crossroads, and market places were well laid out. Well displayed are the innumerable sorts of costly merchandise with which its shops are filled. It is richly adorned with hundreds of alms-halls” (Kuhrt and Sherwin-White 202). In other words, Buddhist monks considered the Indo-Greeks to be prosperous and civilized people. This should come as no surprise, for evidence suggests that some of them became monks, and “brought their culture with them when they entered monasteries” (Pollit 35).
Secondly, the statue “Buddha, Gandhara” should be outlined by its religious effect. For many years, statues of Buddha were represented in sitting positions with “meditation and preaching gestures” (Brancaccio and Behrendt 172). These types of statues reflected the ultimately divine nature of Buddha. The standing version of the Buddha and its Greek-style anthropological nature makes him closer to the people and signifies his presence in everyday life. Such a vision of Buddhism provided ground for modern reflections in this religion.
Conclusion
To conclude, the stylistic analysis of the standing statue “Buddha, Gandhara” underlines peculiarities of the Gandhara school of arts, provides historical facts about the origin of the given statue, reflects its cultural and artistic significance. The artistic work under analysis is considered to be the most outstanding and one of the most ancient representations of the Buddha made in Hellenistic style.
Works Cited
Blair, Scott. “Answers for Milinda: Hellenistic Influence on the Development of Gandharan Buddhism.” TCNJ Journal of Student Scholarship Vol.XI (2009): 1-11. Print.
Brancaccio, Pia and Kurt Behrendt. Gandharam Buddhism, Archeology, Art, Texts. Vancouver: UBC Press, 2006. Print.
“Gandhara Buddha” n.d. JPEG file. 2015. Web.
Kuhrt, Amelie and Susan Sherwin-White. Hellenism in the East: Interaction of Greek and non-Greek civilizations after Alexander’s Conquest. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1987. Print.
Marshall, John. The Buddhist art of Gandhara: The story of the early school. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1960. Print.
Pollit, Jerome. Art in the Helenistic Age. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1986. Print.