The Gandhara art flourished during the Kushana rule in India. Particularly Kanishka, the greatest of the Kushanas was a great patron of art and architecture. It was during his reign that Gandhara School of art flourished. The new Gandhara style of art that developed in sculpture was a fusion of Greco-Roman and Indian styles.
The characteristic features of the Gandhara School of art was (1) The subject was Indian and (2) The form of art was foreign. The Gandhara sculptors made images of Lord Buddha in the Greco-Roman style. The images of Buddha resembled Greek God Apollo.
Ajanta is famous for both of its architectural design as also the paintings on the cave-walls. Of the 29 caves in all 16 contained paintings which have survived. Though the Ajanta is as old as 1st century AD, most of the specimens belong to the Gupta Age. In the paintings decorative designs have been executed with masterly skill.