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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.

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 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.

*****

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.