According to historians, the earliest phase of Buddhist art only featured indirect or aniconic representations of Buddha. Rather than depictions of Buddha as a man, he appeared symbolically as an empty throne, Bodhi tree, riderless horse with a parasol floating above an empty space, footprints or the dharma wheel.

By the 2nd or 3rd century AD however, anthropomorphic representations of Buddha had emerged, with an early sculptural example existing in the permanent collection of the British Museum. The move from aniconic to anthropomorphic has been linked to the influence of Ancient Greek culture in the Gandhara region (modern-day Pakistan and Afghanistan), signalling a shift from Buddha being conceived of as a symbol into an embodied form. 

In his painting, Seated Buddha (2025), Philippe Le Miere draws on this merging of cultures. He presents a painterly interpretation of the Buddha statue at the British Museum, seated in a yogic position with the right hand in abhaya mudra – a gesture of reassurance or welcome. 

A reflection on his personal journey into Eastern philosophy, this work is also a meditation on the meeting of East and West. It is painted in an impressionistic style, aware that no view – or depiction – comes from nowhere, and is instead bound by an infinite spectrum of experiences and histories. Like Ancient Greek culture altering the course of Buddhist art, Seated Buddha is an unexpected fusion of the personal, cultural and spiritual, inviting the viewer to look at the familiar anew. 

Philippe LE MIERE (1975 - )
'Seated Buddha from Gandhara' 2025
acrylic on canvas
Image Size: 51 x 38 cm
Dimensions: 55 x 43 x 5 cm
Signed: Signed lower right Le Miere, inscribed verso Philippe Le Miere, title and date
Comes with Letter of Provenance

Condition: Excellent

(c) The Artist or Assignee