Question

When did the best productions of the Gandhara sculpture appear?
A.Mauryan period
B.Gupta period
C. Kushana period
D.Harsha period

Answer 1

Hint: One of the major schools of art in ancient India was the Gandhara school of art. The Bamiyan Buddha statue was a great example of the Gandhara School of art.

Complete answer: Although the Gandhara school belonged to the Indian history, the style was highly influenced by the Greco-Roman styles. The Gandhara school of art was highly patronised by emperor Kanishka who was the ruler of the Kushana dynasty. This form of art was closely associated with Mahayana Buddhism. The main theme was Buddha and Bodhisattvas. The Gandhara style was more popular in Afghanistan and North-western India. The extensive use of black stone and stucco was prevalent. Stucco was a kind of plaster that was used for creating statues. The Gandhara school of art is the epitome of perfection. Every detail is carried out with precision. It was very realistically carved. The Greco-Roman effect could be found through the following characteristics.
1. Halo which is around the head of Lord Buddha
2. Wavy hair of Buddha
3. The lines on the forehead
4. Ornaments.
5. The draping style of the garments.
Looking at the options:
Option A: Mauryan empire was an empire where Buddhism flourished. The most famous were the stupas. Therefore this is incorrect.
Option B: The main religion during the Gupta empire was Hinduism. Hence this is incorrect.
Option C: Kushana period was the time when the Gandhara school of art flourished. This is the correct answer.
Option D: King Harsha converted himself to a Buddhist from Hinduism. The Gandhara school of art flourished much earlier than that. Therefore this is an incorrect answer.
Option C is the correct answer.

Note: The Gandhara School of art could be discovered in Jalalabad, Hadda, Taxila. These were some of the main centres. The Gandhara school of art portrayed Buddha in the form of Hellenistic art whereas the Mauryan period Buddha was created according to the earlier images of Yaksha.