What is Continuous Narrative? | The Great Departure Relief at the Great Stupa at Sanchi

How does a single image show the passage of time? In early Buddhist art, like the sandstone reliefs adorning the torana gateways at the Great Stupa at Sanchi, artists found creative ways to condense multiple moments into one composition. In this video, we examine a relief from one of the architraves on the eastern gateway at the Great Stupa at Sanchi that uses continuous narrative to tell a story. Dated to the 1st century BCE, the relief depicts the Great Departure, or Prince Siddhartha Gautama’s departure from the palace as he set out on his path toward enlightenment. Since early Buddhist art is aniconic, we explain the symbols used to depict the Buddha’s presence in this scene and show how they repeat from right to left to illustrate how his story unfolds.

Speaker: Dr. Cortney Chaffin Kim