"The Beautiful Bodhisattva" (426) is a Fresco from fifth century A.C. India, whereas "The Raising of the Cross" (1609-10 389) is a Renaissance painting by Peter Paul Rubens. Although these two artworks emerged out of different historical and cultural contexts, they both have religious themes and were created for religious adoration or decoration of religious spaces. The Indian fresco shows a Bodhisattva, i.e. "saintly beings who have delayed their own release in order to help others attain enlightenment" (426). The Bodhisattva is thus not unlike Jesus who also sacrificed himself for the salvation of mankind.
Rubens painting is dominated by diagonal lines formed by the cross, the bodies of the men erecting the cross, and the vegetation and landscape shown in the background. Rubens makes use of dramatic lighting, which creates stark contrast between Jesus in the center of the painting and other elements of the painting such as the dark sky in the background and the men shown behind the cross. This also adds emphasis to Jesus as the central object/theme of the painting. Moreover, the painting suggests movement, as the bodies of the men are in semi-realistic poses and their musculature is depicted as flexed and tense.
The Indian Fresco on the other hand does not suggest any movement at all but appears rather static. This effect is emphasized by the contemplative and stylized pose of the Bodhisattva. Moreover, in contrast to Rubens painting, the fresco has little or no contrast, with browns and greens dominating. The fresco is dominated by vertical lines (the trees in the background) and triangular shapes (the body of the Bodhisattva). Scale and proportion of the fresco are also less realistic than in Rubens painting, which adds to the overall stylized nature of the objects and persons depicted in the fresco.
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