Gandhara Art

• The best of the Gandhara sculpture was produced during the first and second centuries CE
• It originated during the reign of Indo-Greek rulers
• Real patrons of this school of art were the Sakas and the Kushanas, particularly Kanishka
• Gandhara art was a blend of Indian and Greco-Roman elements
• Specimens have been found in Taxila, Peshawar and other places in northwestern India 
• The reliefs depict Buddha’s birth, his renunciation and preachings 

Salient features:

• Moulding human body in a realistic manner with minute attention to the physical features like muscles, moustache and curly hair 
• Thick drapery with large and bold fold lines
• Rich carving, elaborate ornamentation and symbolic expressions
• The main theme was the new form of Buddhism- Mahayanism, and the evolution of an image of Buddha
• The Buddhist stupas erected during this period had Greco-Roman architectural impact with the raised height of the stupa and addition of ornamentation to the structure of the stupa