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HaḍḍaDB

Differences and Similarities in Gandhāran Art: The Case of the Modelling School of Haḍḍa

Alexandra Vanleene
3/22/2018
2 min read

About this Lecture

Presented on 22-23 March 2018 at the University of Oxford as part of the Gandhāra Connections project (Classical Art Research Centre), this lecture by Dr. Alexandra Vanleene provides a foundational study of what distinguishes the modelling school of Haḍḍa within Gandhāran artistic production.

The proceedings of this conference were published in the volume "The Geography of Gandhāran Art" (Archaeopress, 2019), attesting to its academic significance. This paper lies at the very heart of the HADB project, as it precisely defines what makes Haḍḍa's productions distinctive.

The Modelling School of Haḍḍa

While the majority of Gandhāran art is executed in schist (carved stone), Haḍḍa distinguishes itself through a massive production of modelled stucco. This technical choice is far from trivial: it allows an expressiveness and freedom of modelling impossible to achieve in stone. Haḍḍa faces display striking realism – expressions range from the most profound Buddhist serenity to the most expressive terror of demons.

Key Topics

  • Schist vs stucco: why Haḍḍa chose stucco and the artistic consequences of this choice
  • Unique expressiveness: the freedom of modelling allows facial expressions impossible in stone
  • Haḍḍa workshops: production organisation, manufacturing techniques, polychromy
  • Kinship and differences: what Haḍḍa shares with the rest of Gandhāra and what is uniquely its own
  • Chronology and evolution: how Haḍḍa's style evolved between the 3rd and 5th centuries

Explore the Art of Haḍḍa in HADB

Our database is dedicated to the school of Haḍḍa. Explore by category:

  • 🧘 Buddha – serenity in stucco
  • 🙏 Bodhisattvas – nobility and refinement
  • 👤 Monks – realism in monastic portraits
  • 👹 Demons – the spectacular expressiveness of stucco
  • ✨ Genii – delicacy and movement

Browse the sites of Haḍḍa, each with its own artistic character: