MAINS DAILY QUESTIONS & MODEL ANSWERS
Q1. The sculptural art of the Indus valley shows that artists of that time surely had fine artistic sensibilities and a vivid imagination. Discuss.
GS I – Modern Indian History
Introduction:
- Sculpture art is one of the most ancient art forms in India. Archaeological studies have confirmed that Indians were familiar with sculptures about 4000 years before. A flourishing civilisation emerged on the banks of river Indus in the second half of the third millennium BCE and spread across larger parts of Western India. A marked feature if this civilisation was the vivid imagination and artistic sensibilities.
Sculpture art of Indus Valley Civilization:
- Sculpture representation started with knowledge of Terracotta Deities like bearded man, mother goddess and toy carts, animals were common.
- Harappan sculptors were adept in chiselling of stones. E.g.: male torso figure in red sandstone and bust of a bearded man in soapstone.
- Apart from sculpturing in terracotta and stone, ancient Indian artists were masters in bronze sculpting as well.
- The Lost Wax Technique or the ‘Cire-Perdu’ process has been known from the time of the Indus Valley Civilization itself. This process is in use even today.
- The statue of the Dancing Girl found from Mohenjo Daro is one of the finest examples of Indus Valley art. It is a bronze statue showing remarkable achievements of the artists of the Indus Valley. The figurine is about 4 inches tall. Datable to 2500 BC. It is said to be in the tribhanga it is one of the oldest bronze sculpture. g.: Bronze dancing girl of Mohenjo-Daro, bronze bull of Kalibangan etc.
- Bronze is an alloy of basically copper and tin. Sometimes zinc was also added although most of the component is copper.
- The alloy-making process of mixing metals was known to the ancient Indians.
- Bronze sculptures and statuettes of various icons of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism have been found from various parts of India dating from the 2nd century CE to the 16th century CE.
- Most of the images were used for religious and ritualistic purposes.
- The metal casting process was also used for making articles of daily use like utensils.
Conclusion
- Their artistic versatility showed in the range of materials they used and the forms they made out of it. The patterns, motives and designs found on the articles shows the creativity that existed and judging from the excavated evidences, one can only conclude the people of Indus civilization were indeed true art patrons.
Q2. Gandhara School sculpture represents Greco-Buddhist art which is fine and realistic as the sculptures display quite a sophisticated iconography in an advanced style. Elaborate.
GS I – Modern Indian History
Introduction:
- Gandhara art, style of Buddhist visual art that developed in what is now northwestern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan between the 1st century BCE and the 7th century CE. The style, of Greco-Roman origin, seems to have flourished largely during the Kushana dynasty and was contemporaneous with an important but dissimilar school of Kushana art at Mathura.
Gandhara art and Buddhism:
- The Gandharan craftsmen made a lasting contribution to Buddhist art in their composition of the events of the Buddha’s life into set scenes.
- In its interpretation of Buddhist legends, the Gandhara school incorporated many motifs and techniques from Classical Roman art, including vine scrolls, cherubs bearing garlands, tritons, and centaurs. The basic iconography, however, remained Indian.
- The materials used for Gandhara sculpture were green phyllite and gray-blue mica schist which in general, belong to an earlier phase, and stucco, which was used increasingly after the 3rd century CE. The sculptures were originally painted and gilded.
- The Hellenistic influence was nowhere more dramatic than in Gandhara, a term now used to describe the school of semi-classical sculptures of Pakistan and Afghanistan in the early centuries of our era.
- In contrast with Mathura School, the Gandhara School images are known for their anatomical accuracy, spatial depth, and foreshortening.
- The Gandhara school drew upon the anthropomorphic traditions of Roman religion and represented the Buddha with a youthful Apollo-like face, dressed in garments resembling those seen on Roman imperial statues.
- This style of art was closely associated with Mahayana Buddhism and hence the main theme of this art was Lord Buddha and Bodhisattvas.
- The Buddha and Bodhisattva figures resemble the Greek God Apollo with broad shoulders, a halo around the head. The physical features such as muscles, nails, hair have been done with great detail.
- All early Bodhisattvas are shown in wearing turbans, jewelry, and muslin skirts, a costume that was an adaptation of the actual dress of Kushan and Indian nobles.
- Thus, it can be conjectured that in idea and conception this style was Indian and in execution it was foreign. One example of the Gandhara style of art is the Bamiyan Buddha statues.
- The Gandhara depiction of the seated Buddha was less successful.
Gandhara art and other religions:
- Although it was dominated by the themes of Lord Buddha, however, there were images on other subjects also made such as the images of the Greek God Apollo and certain kings as well.
- Although Buddhist imagery dominates the art of Gandhara, some Hindu deities such as Skanda, the god of war, were also common.
- Early art from Gandhara often features motifs from Greco-Roman mythology and imperial representations, as well as western architectural elements such as Corinthian capitals and friezes of garland-bearing, cupid-like erotes.
- These characteristics make Gandharan works truly distinctive in the history of art.
- This river god is inspired by Roman prototypes, both in the rendering of the figure and in its depiction as a male. Personifications of rivers in Indian culture are always female.
Conclusion:
- The schools of Gandhara and Mathura influenced each other, and the general trend was away from a naturalistic conception and toward a more idealized, abstract image. Gandhara School of Art can be said as an influence and culmination of both the Indian as well as foreign traditions due to its strategic location.
