Art N Soul
Displaying 21 - 30 of 49
The circus from our childhood has changed in many ways. Prof B.N. Goswamy writes of the circus-centred work of a contemporary Indian photographer, Vivek Desai, who provides some rare insights into the lives of the performers behind the spotlight. (In pic: A clown taking a nap on a ramshackle bed;…
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There is much in our way of seeing and rendering mirrors that is full of great fascination. Prof. B.N. Goswamy writes about the mirror as something that both reveals and conceals at the same time, and the Persian legend of Alexander’s ironsmith having invented the mirror. (In pic: Darpana, one of…
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Maharaja Yeshwant Rao Holkar engaged great photographers and painters of the time to create portraits of him. Prof B.N. Goswamy writes about provocative American photographer and artist Man Ray’s interactions with the Maharaja. (Photo courtesy: The Tribune)
This article appeared originally in The…
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A search for new clothes for Lord Jagannath during navakalevara—a ceremony of periodic renewal (every 12 years) of the wooden images in Puri’s Jagannath temple—unravels the business in sacred textiles. Prof. B.N. Goswamy writes about what goes into such a search and its trial. (Photo courtesy:…
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If there was one family that ‘knew’ Chinese art, and collected it with passion, it was that of the Tatas of Bombay. Politics aside, objects from the neighbouring country were a matter of pride in India a century ago, writes Prof B.N. Goswamy. (In pic: Snuff bottle imitating carved lacquer,…
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Kasturbhai Lalbhai Museum in Gujarat has a varied collection of Jain artefacts and symbolisms of worship. Prof. B.N. Goswamy writes about how the museum offers a rare peak into the Jaina world of retreat and meditation. (In pic: Detail from a Tirtha pata, Gujarat, 1641 AD; Photo courtesy: The…
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The paintings of foreigners during the colonial rule give an interesting insight into how they interacted with those from ‘the mysterious East’. Here, Prof B.N. Goswamy writes about paintings that emerged from the time, specifically from the court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. (Photo courtesy: The…
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Encountering an ‘alien’ or unfamiliar object in some little-known Indian collection, or an Indian inscription in the unlikeliest of artwork speaks volumes about how objects of art travel across the world. Prof. B.N. Goswamy attempts to uncover the mystery of Devanagari engravings on French…
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Chamba rumals—which were used chiefly as decorative coverlets for platters filled with gifts in the hilly regions—started disappearing because of changing tastes and the availability of cheaper substitutes. Here, Prof. B.N. Goswamy writes about these Pahadi treasures, and the initiative to revive…
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Story of a 16th-century Asian ivory casket that was carved in Sri Lanka has a fascinating history of colonial and evangelising power. Now exhibited in London, Prof. B.N. Goswamy revisits the connection between this art piece and an engraving by the great German artist Albrecht Durer. (Photo…
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