Standing Buddha

Standing Buddha

India, state of Uttar Pradesh, Mathura Gupta dynasty, 320-485
Sandstone
Purchase F1994.17

During the Gupta dynasty, sculptors created an image of the Buddha that became a model for Buddhist art throughout Asia. They merged an interest in robust human bodies (seen in the Mathura serpent-king, opposite) with the graceful nuance of Gandharan sculpture. The result is a balance of humanity and transcendence. The style is exemplified in the radiating string folds of this monastic garment, which simultaneously reveals the body of the Buddha and dematerializes it through pattern.