Buddhist art and its cultural significance

¶ … Buddhist Art and further, to explore the characteristics of Art in Buddhism as well as naming two Buddhist artists and their works from this period.

Buddhist Art has within it several periods within the scope of what is termed Buddhist Art. Buddhist Art sprang from the religion Buddhism, which is a religion based on the teaching of Buddha. Dragons, flowers, as well as Buddha himself are portrayed in paintings, statues, shrines, tapestry and many various forms and textures across many centuries of art. Buddhist art can be found throughout many regions of the world.

Buddhist Art had a major impact on Central Asian art development. Central Asian artworks are a mixing of the eastern and western cultures. Buddhist sculptures paintings and murals are all along what is referred to as "The Silk Road." Representations of Buddha first began during the Gandharan culture around the 3rd Century B.C.

Aniconic Phase (5th Century -- 1st Century BCE)

Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan era which was from 322 BCE to 180 BCE is defined by the first clear manifestations of Buddhist art.

It was during the first and second centuries BCE that sculptures gained a characteristic of being explicit in representation of Buddha, his life and his teachings. India's representations of the Buddha were the bodhi tree, the footprint, the empty throne, the lions, the columns or the lotus. The lotus was a symbol of purity. The columns were symbolic to the teachings of Buddha. The Bodhi tree was where Buddha became enlightened and the footprint was in representation of his word spread to the world.

II. Iconic Phase (1st Century CE to Present)

This phase is defined by "Anthropomorphic Representations of Buddha that came from the Gandhara, and Mathura regions in central northern India. The art of this period carries a definite Greek influence relating to the mythology of the Greek culture. The art was realistic idealism with the combination of realistic features and that was considered divine in that culture. Within this phase is contained the Gupta period (4th-6th century CE). Also within this phase is the Northern Buddhist art from Afghanistan, Central Asia, and China. The Northern Dynasties in the Tang Dynasty culture were those of Korea, Japan, Tibet and Vietnam. Southern Buddhist art emerged out of Burma, Cambodia, Thailand and Indonesia.

III. Ancient Artists:

Not much is known about the ancient artists of Buddhist art. Paintings on rock and wall surfaces done upon a layer of plaster, along with other natural products such as clay, granite, feldspar as well as quartz. Pigments were concocted from oils, leaves that had been crushed, sap from trees, vegetal fluids as well as many other naturally obtained ingredients. A coating made of oily materials was applied as an overcoat for protection of the paintings and also heightened the colors of the art.

IV. Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) Buddhist Artist:

Born in Tokyo and sometimes known as Ando Tokytaro, his given birth name, was also known as "the artist of rain, snow and mist

." He started on landscapes in the 1830's and signed his works under the name Ichiuysai or Ichiryusai. The first of his landscape series, sometime around 1829 was entitled "Eight Famous Views of Omi" and the next series, which contained ten prints was titled "Famous Places of the Eastern Capital."

Other landscapes worth noting by Utagawa Hiroshige are "Famous Places of Kyoto," "Eight Views of Lake Biwa" and "Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji." Edward F. Strange wrote in reference to Utagawa Hiroshige that:

"Outside his own little circle of friends and customers Hirshige was a man of small importance in Japan. The cultured classes knew him not; and it is only since his work has begun to gain its great and growing reputation in Europe and America, that he is beginning to be appreciated in his own country."

V. Katsushika Hokusai (1760 -- 1849) Buddhist Artist:

Referred to as "the old man mad about drawing" was a master and genius of the Japanese art of woodblock printing. He had a great influence on art throughout Europe specifically that of the Impressionists. His father was a mirror artisan who apprenticed Katsushika to a wood carver and then next apprenticed to Shunsho, a woodblock artist. He produced a series in 1790 title "Festivals of the Green Houses" which was street scenes. He produced a series of bird and flower, which were landscape prints, which are considered today to be his best and greatest works. It is noted that at his death in 1839 the last words of this great artist was:

"If only Heaven would give me just another ten years Just another five more years, then I could become a real painter."

Below is the Buddhist Art Timeline which is representative of the different periods of the two major phases.