Art 101 - Writing Assignment 3 (1)
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Elliott-Hamper 1
Kiley Elliott-Hamper
Diane Doty
Art 101
30 September 2023
Assignment #3
Both
Christ as the Good Shepherd
and
Seated Buddha Preaching the First Sermon
are
very intricate and detailed pieces. There are many similarities and differences between the pieces
in both interpretations and physical nature.
Seated Buddha Preaching the First Sermon
is located
in Sarnath, India from the 5th century, and was created by an Indian prince from Nepal who went
on a journey to figure out the meaning of life and the explanation for human anguish, while
Christ as the Good Shepherd
is in the mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna, Italy from the 4th
century and was created as Byzantine art and is reminiscent of the shift in Roman artistic style.
(Lewis & Lewis, p. 250 & 260)
Starting off with similarities. For one, both pieces represent some type of power or
enlightenment.
Christ as the Good Shepherd
represents Christ, who is known for being all-
knowing and powerful. He sits with his sheep, one hand holding a cross, the other reached out to
a sheep. The holding of the cross is more like the holding of a scepter rather than reminiscent of
crucifixion, and his other hand being extended out to the sheep puts him in a protective position
in the eyes of the audience. (Lewis & Lewis, p. 250) This speaks a lot to the portrayal of Christ
and how he’s viewed by tha artist. The holding of the cross focuses on the good rather than bad,
the power rather than crucifixion. The hand position portrays Christ as a protector, for the sheep
and the audience. In
Seated Buddha Preaching the First Sermon,
however, power and knowledge
are presented in a different way. The Buddha is seated like a holy man and his hands are in a
Elliott-Hamper 2
teaching gesture, representing knowledge. Other indicators of power are present in the piece such
as the earlobes, earrings, and hair arrangement. These things signify that he was once a noble
Indian prince. His facial expression conveys a sense of calm as well. (Lewis & Lewis, p. 260)
The inclusion of the indicators of the Buddha once being a prince says a lot about the artist. This
can be seen as a position of power, which is maybe what the artist is trying to represent with this
information. Both the Buddha and Christ are religious pieces, and include a halo to convey their
religious importance. They both also take advantage of repetition in patterns as well, with Christ
being with the grass pattern, and Buddha being with the halo behind his head. They’re both
portrayed to be in some position of power and the detail put into each sculpture speaks to the
vision each artist had of their subjects.
As can be seen, there are many similarities between the two pieces, but there are also
many differences. Firstly, even though they’re both religious pieces, one represents Buddhism
and the other Christianity. A physical difference that can be found in the pieces is the medium
with which they were created. The Buddha is a statue, created with stone, (Lewis & Lewis, p.
260), while Christ is a mosaic, created with small pieces of colored glass and stone. (Lewis &
Lewis, p. 243) This could potentially speak to the nature of each piece. Mosaic is more light and
colorful, whereas sculptures are more rugged and tough. There are also differences in the
purposes of the pieces. The Buddha is meant to cause reflection and calm, just as the prince who
created it did. It is meant to cause the audience to ponder the meaning of life and evoke a sense
of calm or zen. Christ, on the other hand, is meant to provoke or excite the audience, illustrating
the goods waiting for you in heaven. Each piece has different intentions or goals.
Overall, the two pieces that were compared here, have many similarities and differences.
It is interesting how two pieces made in two different time periods, by two different people, with
Elliott-Hamper 3
two different mediums, that represent two different religions, can still have similarities. Both of
these pieces are also very popular in their respective religious community, and both do a great
job of effectively representing said community and their beliefs.
Works Cited
Lewis, R., & Lewis, S. I. (2022).
The power of art
(Revised Third Edition). Cengage.
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