Gandhāran School of Buddhist Paintings

This book is the revised and updated version of the one published by the author in 2000 under the title "Buddhist Paintings in Gandhara" which focused mainly on the frescoes discovered in the Peshawar Valley, ancient Gandhara. However, since this first publication, archaeological discoveries have resulted many others which have also brought to light new clues about the art of Gandhara paintings. These paintings are recently discovered by researchers, mainly by the author himself, in the different regions of Gandhara which remained historically under the strong influence of Buddhism from the 3rd century BCE to the 5th century CE. This monograph includes not only the frescoes discovered so far in the region but also many other painted objects, drawings and inscriptions depicted mainly inside rock shelters. Such discoveries have therefore led the author to re-examine and analyse these paintings and to make them all available in a single corpus and with a new approach.