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Art of the Gupta Period

BY SUMIT RAY

The art of the Gupta period (320 CE – 7th century) is generally considered to
be the definitive classical art of India. Since India has an artistic tradition
that is millennia old and infinitely varied it is certainly a very big challenge
to attain the distinction of being the Golden Age, but Gupta art has done
just that, and deservedly so.

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What attracts scholars and admirers alike to the artifacts of this era are the beauty and grace in the
depictions of the human form. They are both extremely corporeal as well as deeply spiritual – a
combination that the most expert artists find difficult to reproduce. The noted scholar VS Agrawal has
rightly described it as “The permanent spiritual values of life cast into an aesthetic mould that we call
art”. Maybe because it was an era of peace and advancement in other human endeavors the nature of
the artisans was that of unobstructed devotion to their craft and this reflected in their works.

Depiction of the Human Form

The intention was to depict the Bhava (emotion) and Chintan

(contemplation). It was a view of the inward life through its outwardly
manifestations. The most famous example of this is the Padmapani
Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva of cave 1 at Ajanta.

Dated to the late 6th century, this painting shows one of the
incarnations of the Buddha. The temperament of the face as seen
here is that of being at peace with the vagaries of life. It shows
compassion and understanding, while at the same time showing a
detachment of non-interference.

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The concept of Bhava was not restricted to paintings. Artisans of this era
were able to bring it out even in stone work, of which the most famous
examples are the sculptures of Sarnath, which achieved unparalleled
beauty at this time.

The form of the body became slender compared to preceding styles. The focus
was no longer on the might of the chest and shoulders, but on the fluid grace of
the form, accentuated by the fluidity of the garment. The garment was shown as
clinging to the body, allowing an almost nude view of the torso and legs. The
entire body became better balanced, able to show a relaxed posture, as opposed
to a tense and erect one. The halo behind the Buddha’s head became more
decorative and better-proportioned.

Depiction of Lord Vishnu and his Avatars

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Apart from Buddhist heritage, substantial Hindu artefacts have also come to us from this period, such as
those at Udayagiri. The cave temples here contain sculptures of prominent gods, like Shiva Lingas
(phallic symbol of Lord Shiva), and a famous Varaha (boar) Avatar statue of Lord Vishnu.

Vishnu’s depictions formed an important part

of the Gupta art ideology since He is
considered to be a sensual God in all his
incarnations – strong, lively, and charming. The
joy of the artisans at work can be seen in this
carving where the Varaha Avatar stands with
all His weight on the left leg, arms akimbo and
holding the Earth goddess upon His tusks and
shoulders. All other witnesses are miniscule by
comparison. The moral order is retained by the
righteous Lord saviour being more beautiful
and larger than everyone else.

Apart from the rock-cut temples at Udayagiri there are free-standing temples also belonging to this
period at places like Deogarh. The Dashavatara temple here is a great example of the skill and virtuosity
of the stone sculptors in making a temple a text of religious beliefs. The carvings of various images of
Lord Vishnu cover all the walls. One of the most well-known ones is that of the Sheshashayi Vishnu. All
the elements of the panel are eye-catching.

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Vishnu is shown reclining in the most majestic manner

upon the ten-headed serpent, who in turn shades him
with his hood. Goddess Lakshmi is seen pressing his feet
as attendants stand by. A testimony to how well Gupta
period artisans could use stone can be seen in the
floating gods above Vishnu. They appear to be actually
floating in air. Their form seems free of the weight of
stone and so flawless the execution that one cannot
sense their joint with the stone wall.

Such depictions of earthly Avatars of the gods, along with depictions of mortal life were shown on the
outer walls of the temples. Inside, one found the sanctum enveloped in peace, without distractions.
Though sculptures were found inside, yet they were usually separated from any mythological setting.

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*****

This is a summary of the author’s submission to the National Museum in Delhi as part of his
course work for a certificate course in Art Appreciation.

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