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Narrative images of episodes from the life of Gautama Buddha in art have been intermittently an important part of Buddhist art, often grouped into cycles, sometimes rather large ones. However, at many times and places, images of the Buddha in art have been very largely single devotional images without narrative content from his life on Earth.
The Buddha's life story comes alive through art, with key events like birth, enlightenment, and death depicted in various styles. These images serve as visual teachings, using symbols and figures to convey deep spiritual meanings to viewers across cultures.
Mar 20, 2023 · Early Buddhist narrative art : illustrations of the life of the Buddha from Central Asia to China, Korea, and Japan by Karetzky, Patricia Eichenbaum, 1947-
To represent stories of the Buddha’s life, Gandharan artists combined the visual vocabulary of Greco-Roman art with Indian Buddhist concepts and iconography. Due to its location on the Silk Road, Gandhara’s sculptural tradition influenced Buddhist imagery from India, Central Asia, and China.
Any standing Buddha image, often displaying the protection (abhaya) and giving (varada) gestures, can be viewed as representing this stage in Śākyamuni's life. The walking Buddha image in Thailand represents the impact of this part of the Buddha's life especially well.
The Gupta period, from the fourth to the sixth century A.D., in northern India, sometimes referred to as a Golden Age, witnessed the creation of an “ideal image” of the Buddha.
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This article analyzes the different modes used in early Buddhist art to visually narrate stories from the life of Buddha and his prior lives (jatakas). It identifies seven distinct modes: 1) Monoscenic, using a single scene to represent the whole narrative.
