Gandhara and Mathura School of Art

On western borders of Punjab, the Gandhara School of art flourished in the modern-day Afghanistan and Peshawar. The Mathura School developed on the banks of the River Yamuna between the first and third centuries B.C. Regardless of the fact that both schools of art seem to have arisen during the Kushana dynasty reign, they are found in separate locations on the Mathura and in Northwest Frontier. 

Mathura School of Art

• This School of Art was heavily influenced by Indianism and spirituality was missing from the sculptures
• Spotted red sandstone was commonly used for sculptures and statue
• Initially, the Bodhisattva and Buddha are shown as happy, plump figures with very little spirituality
• The representatives of Buddha, as well as statues of several gods and goddesses, particularly Tirthankaras of Jain, were popular at the Mathura School of Arts
• The sculptures of the Mathura School influenced the narratives and images of all major faiths of the period —Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism
• The pictures were based on Yaksha images which were found during the period of the Maurya

Gandhara School of Art

• During the era of the Empire of the Kushan, Gandhara art flourished in India.
• Kanishka, the Kushana dynasty’s greatest ruler, was a very well patron of the architecture and arts
• The Gandhara School of art developed under his reign
• The invaders of the Greeks brought with them the traditions of Roman and Greek sculptors, which influenced the native traditions of the region which is why the Gandhara School became recognized as the Greco-Indian School of Art
• Gandhara School was affected greatly by the techniques of the Greeks

The distinction between Mathura and Gandhara School of Art

• The Gandhara School prospered in two eras between 50 before Christ and 500 A.D., whilst the Mathura School thrived between the first and third centuries B.C. on the banks of the Yamuna 
• Area- The Gandhara School was developed in the northwest Frontier’s modern-day Kandahar area whereas, at Mathura School, growth was achieved in Mathura, Kankalitila and Sonkh
• Moreover, the Kankalitala was known for its sculptures of the Jain
• The most common religious influence in the Gandhara School is Buddhist imagery influenced by the Greco-Roman pantheon, although in the Mathura School, the 3 major religions of that time Buddhism, Jainism, and Hinduism, had an impact at the time
• Early Gandhara School structures were made of bluish-grey sandstone, then mud and stucco, and the Mathura School’s sculptures were made of spotted sandstone of red colour
• As a consequence of the overwhelming influence of Hellenistic or Greek sculpture, the Gandhara school of Art is also known as Indo-Greek art
• The invaders of the Greeks brought with them the tradition of Roman and Greek sculptors, which influenced the native traditions of the region
• The Mathura School of Art, on the other hand, was founded by indigenous people without the influence of the outside culture
• The sculptures of the Mathura School influenced the images and the narrative of all three religions of the time Jainism, Hinduism, and Buddhism
• The pictures were also based on Yaksha images found during the period of the Maurya.
• In Gandhara School of Art, the Buddha is shown in a spiritual mindset, with flowing hair
• He is wearing little jewellery and is in the yoga position
• The eyes are half-closed, as in meditation
• A protuberance on the Buddha’s head represents his omniscience
• The halo is rarely ornamented in Gandhara style; moreover, the paintings are far more expressive
• In Mathura School of Art Buddha’s face is represented with a joyful look wearing a body-hugging outfit denoting muscularity
• The hair on the head and face has been shaved
• The Buddha is sitting in padmasana, wearing several mudras and wearing a calm expression
• The same protuberance can be noticed on the head
• In Mathura School of Art, the woman was the focal point of the painting, and few pieces of Indian art can compete in terms of delicacy, appeal and beauty with the stunning female figures made by the Mathura artists
• In Gandhara School of Art, another striking feature is the presence of images of the Mother Goddess, as the devotion to this goddess continues as an essential religious expression for common people
• Moreover, like some other prominent religious cults, Buddhism became entangled with the fertility cult

Conclusion

Some attribute the first iconographers to Gandhara’s Hellenistic artists, while others attribute it to sculptures of the Mathura. Sculptures made by the former are usually associated with the Gandhara School, whereas those made by the latter are associated with the Mathura school. Because the iconographic and sculptural parts of their work differ in key details, it is possible that both schools worked on images at the same time.