The Evolution of Gandhara Artistic Elements in Kizil Frescos

The paintings of Buddha’s Life Stories， Buddha’s Previous Incarnations， Buddha Maitreya with Legs Crossed， Flaming Shoulder Buddha， Meditation Buddha， Nirmana-Buddha in Kizil frescos contain typical Gandhara artistic elements. Their manners of organizations， patterns of characters and techniques of performances wholly or partially derived from Gandhara art with subtle modifications. By comparing Kizil frescos and Gandhara engravings， we can find out the evolution of Gandhara artistic elements， investigate the choices made by Kizil， define the status of Gandhara art， and explore the historical and cultural causes of these image changes. At last， how Gandhara art was introduced to Kucha is analyzed.