RAS question
The Gandhara school of art (1st-5th century CE) was influenced by:
Correct answer: (C) Greco-Roman art, depicting Buddha in human form for the first time.
The Gandhara school of art was influenced by Greco-Roman art and is associated with the early anthropomorphic depiction of the Buddha.
Explanation
Gandhara art belongs to the Kushana period and the Gandhara region around the Peshawar valley. Sculpture from this period shows a clear influence of Greek art, produced through earlier Hellenistic cultural diffusion and then blended with local religious beliefs. This explains why the Buddha appears in human form in Gandhara art, rather than being represented only through symbols as in the earlier Sanchi example where the First Sermon is shown through a wheel. In Gandhara, the Buddha is dressed like he is wearing a Greek toga, and grey schist is the material for the Gandhara First Sermon panel. The option is therefore right because it links external classical influence with the human-form Buddha image.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Egyptian art is not the influence identified in the NCERT discussion of Gandhara; NCERT, Training Package on Art Education connects the style with Greek art and Hellenistic diffusion.
- (B) Mesopotamian art is not used to explain Gandhara's Buddha images; the NCERT passage points instead to Greek, Roman and Central Asian stylistic influence.
- (D) Chinese art does not account for the Gandhara features described here, such as the Greek-toga-like drapery and the Hellenistic treatment of the human body.
Concept
This tests ancient Indian art and cultural interaction, especially how Kushana-period Gandhara blended Buddhist themes with external classical styles. RAS repeats this because Gandhara versus Mathura is a standard way to test sources, patronage and visual features together.