Introduction:- The Buddhist visual art form known as the Mathura School of Sculpture thrived in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. It is serving both as a commercial hub and a pilgrimage center. Under the reign of Kushan emperor Kanishka in the first century AD, the Mathura School of Sculpture experienced a period of flourishing creativity. It reached its pinnacle during the Gupta period in the 6th or 7th century.
This artistic tradition, rooted in Buddhism, not only reflected the cultural richness of Mathura but also played a pivotal role in the broader artistic landscape of ancient India. The flourishing of this school of art during the Gupta period marked a significant era in the region.
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Salient features of this school of sculpture include:
The Mathura School of Sculpture favored the use of Spotted red sandstone as the primary medium for depicting sculptures. The influence of the traditions of the Mathura school of sculptures was evident, encompassing representations of all three religions—Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism. This artistic tradition received patronage from the Kushana rulers, leading to its dissemination to other parts of northern India.
- The Buddha image at Mathura, influenced by earlier Yaksha images, contrasts with the Hellenistic features seen in Gandhara.
- Images of Vishnu and Shiva are represented by their ayudhas (weapons).
- Carving large images boldly, projecting their volume out of the picture plane, showcasing round and smiling faces, and reducing heaviness in sculptural volume to relaxed flesh.
- Garments covering the left shoulder are clearly visible on the sculpted bodies.
- Sculptures of Buddha, Yakshas, Yakshinis, Shaivite and Vaishnavite deities, and portrait statues are prolifically created.
- In the second century CE, Mathura’s images become more sensual and rotund, exhibiting increased fleshiness.
- By the third century CE, the treatment of sculptural volume changes. Thus reducing extreme fleshiness and portraying movement in the posture by increasing the distance between the two legs and introducing bends in body posture.
- The refinement of softness in the surface continues, and a transparent quality in the robes of Buddha images becomes evident.
- The halos around the heads of the sculptures are profusely decorated.
Read Also: INDIAN ART AND CULTURE
