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The Gal Vihara Rock Sculptures
Sri Lanka's, whilst quick to boast of the age and size of their
monuments, are strangely reticent about the artistic quality
of the best. If you have come to Sri lanaka and you haven't
heard of the Gal Vihara you can
be forgiven, although once seen it will certainly remain
in your memory.
Out of a Cliff-face of granite, unknown artists carved three
figures of the Buddha and a chapel. The earlist figure shows
the Buddha standing on a lotus Plinth in the "blessing Posture".
his arms folded and his eyes half-closed. The sculptor was
working in a material that to some extent dictated the output.
Dark Sterta in the rock sweep contour lines across the delicately
carved features of his face like the slipstream from a dream.
Later
in the reign of parakramabahu, this image was joined by the other figures. The
seated Buddha meditates cross-legged against an interesting
relief of buildings, another hint of how Polonnaruwa's temples
originally looked. The rock-cut chapel alongside contains
a furthur seated Buddha surrounded by attendants waving fly
whisks and other decorations showing traces of paint. On
the other side is the largest figure, a 14metre (46ft) reclining
Buddha of such beauty that it inspired hundreds of year of
Sinhalese art, but was never matched. Here the variations
in the colour of the rock appear as a veli of ripples washing
over the figure of the Buddha as he slips into Nirvana. The
rock was not always kind to the sculptor; a place line of
rock has inflicted a scar on the chin of the Buddha. But
the reverent tenderness with which every detail, including
the bolster-like pillow, has been carved with such graceful
skill make it is easy to forget how difficult the sculptor's
task must have been.
Later
works in this idealised style are cold and mechanical in comparison but the
gal Vihare figures manage to convey an emotional power while
sustaining the most exquisite serenity. The Liquid flow of
the robes and the calmfacial expressions are interpreted
beautifully. |
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