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Art from Home: Stories of Cultural Connections

Louvre Abu Dhabi brings the museum to you by telling stories about the art works on loans from our partners and from our collection through video, audio and activities that can be downloaded for children.

Buddha head Gupta empire

Carved out of a block of red sandstone, this head depicts the Buddha deep in meditation. His eyes half-closed and lowered, it seems as if he is no longer of this world. The Buddha’s inward-looking gaze is characteristic of the aesthetic of the Gupta era in the 3rd and 4th centuries CE, the golden age of Indian civilisation. From an artistic point of view, this period was a phase of classicism, marked by a subtle balance between realism and the idealisation of forms.

Buddha head Gupta empire Northern India, Mathura region 400–500 Red sandstone Louvre Abu Dhabi

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