On_Modes_of_Visual_Narration_in_Early_Buddhist_Art_Author_s_Vidya
"For the artist, the protagonists of a story, together with the elements of space and time, are the three major components of narrative. The artist has to decide how to portray his actors, how to represent the space or spaces in which his story occurs, and how to shape the time during which the story unfolds."
When the first Buddhist monuments were surrounded with stone railings and decorated narrative relief sculpture around 100 BCE, the Buddhist canon was still an oral tradition, transmitted by reciters. Indian artists at that point concentrated on presenting 2 sets of legends from the Sutrapitaka: the life of Prince Siddhartha and the jatakas (prior 550 lives of the Buddha). They would break down the stories into episodes, each of which is composed of several parts or events. Several options were then available to them:
Monoscenic Narrative mode:
Centres around a single event in a story (generally neither the first nor the last), which introduces us to a theme of action. This scene is usually an easily identifiable event from the story, and is presented to stimulate the viewer's recognition of the story. Just enough visual information is provided to identify the tale, and the viewer is left to narrate the story himself.
e.g. Single scene of the gift of the state elephant to represent the Vessantara jataka, or of a cat at the foot of a tree and a cockerel perched in it, to represent the Kukkuta jataka
We can additionally distinguish between a static monoscenic mode ('being in a state') and a dynamic monoscenic mode ('being in action'). The former tends to be used when the divine power of the Buddha is the prime concern - we are presented with the culminating episode of a story.
The Vessantara jataka at Bharhut
The Kukkuta jataka at Bharhut
Extensive use of monoscenic narratives in the surviving 2/5ths of the Bharhut railing: 45 scenes
[This] "may perhaps be ascribed to the character of the rite of circumambulation. As the worshipper/viewer walked slowly around the stupa, repeating the ritual circling three or more times, he could stop and selectively absorb the stories. The process of telling himself all the stories represented on the railing would undoubtedly involve several visits to the stupa, but then this was expected of the devout viewer/worshipper. As the viewer progressively circled the stupa, he was induced into extended contemplation of Buddhist legend and Buddhist virtues by the presence of so many narratives."
Synoptic narrative, Monkey jataka, Sanchi stupa.
2. Synoptic Narratives:
Multiple episodes from a single story are presented within a single frame, but their temporal sequence is not communicated. No consistent or formal order of representation with regards to either causality or temporality. Generally contain the repeated figure of the protagonist.
In the depiction of the monkey jataka at Sanchi, 5 episodes are placed within a single panel, with no indication of temporal succession or causality
"The manner in which one approaches synoptic visual narrative is almost the reverse of the way one hears or reads a story. Rather than putting elements together to make a whole, a whole is given and has to be taken apart in order to be intelligible."
Synoptic visual narrative's ability to emphasise a certain interpretation or perspective, and its compelling of the viewer to take an active part in the storytelling process:
"Synoptic visual narrative, by its choice of episodes depicted, often gives priority to events that a literary narrative, whether verbal or written, does not, and it can actually persuade the viewer to consider the "story" differently. For instance, the omission of the scene of the enemy-monkey breaking his king's back (included by an artist at Bharhut), minimizes the human interest angle, and helps to focus instead on monarchical responsibilities, while the prominence given to the human monarch's retinue reinforces this emphasis on kingship. In addition, the viewer is obliged to enter into a much more active relationship with the content of a story. He is obliged to become a more or less active participant; the viewer is compelled to be the storyteller too."
3. Conflated Narratives:
Shares many features with synoptic narratives, but figure of protagonist is conflated instead of being repeated, producing an overlapping manner of presentation. The conflation of the figure of the protagonist can confuse a reading of temporal succession.