Conclusion

This very brief account of Gandharan style and artistry was provided in the attempt to illustrate the profound distribution, transmission, and mixture of several artistic trends. Gandhara’s rich and complex history makes it seemingly impossible to reconstruct the evolution of Gandharan art. With that in mind, this discussion will end with a quote, one that clearly sums up the essence of the Gandhara School:

“Thus, while it is thoroughly evident that Gandhara drew upon Western Classical, Indian and Parthian stylistic traditions, the bulk of the Gandharan sculptures are characterized by a style which belongs wholly to none of the parents traditions. In fact, it is the very process of juxtaposition-diffusion which contributes to a style of sculpture which can be regarded as a distinctive Gandharan creation, recognizable as an ‘independent language’, despite the range of stylistic influences which it came to embody” (Nehru 61).