Page 10 - Eye of the beholder

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the details of the cultural context, a deeper understanding of the miniature would not be possible. This process of mental churning made me go beyond pure art history to delve into a study of literature, devotional and secular poetry, which forms the basis of the development of visual tradition of miniatures in India. It opened a ‘third eye’ for me, in which I realized an intimate rhizomic connection between the various arts like music, drama, dance, poetry and literature. I also realized a meaningful connectivity in the correspondence between the verbal and visual, through English translations, which I found it very exciting, particularly the artist who had to be synoptic in his visual representation engaged with objects that translated as symbols to convey the verbal meanings of different love situations of the Shringara rasa, which forms the popular theme and content of Rajput miniatures. It is here that the brilliant creativity and imagination of the Indian artist was foregrounded, which left me in awe of their sparkling originality and thoughtfulness. In addition to Rajput Miniatures, there is also a sprinkling of Mughal, Persian and Provincial Mughal miniatures, which offered a challenge in decoding its visual aesthetics containing as it did many threads of influences that conditioned the visual grammar engaged with by the artist.
The Company Paintings visualized by professional artists who travelled from England to India during the time of the presence of the East India Company, which had established itself from the 17th century onwards within the country. The works by these varied artists particularly the large collection of the Daniells’ with the Sadhus’ was profoundly interesting and visually intoxicating, considering the details with which the landscapes were rendered that included flora as well as cultural monuments as temples and other secular structures. I literally lived through many of the Indian landscape vistas particularly of South India painted by them, which today is lost to the maze of urban development. In studying these paintings there was an overwhelming nostalgia and sentiments as Edward Weeks Bombay streets, the city where I had spent my early childhood with my maternal grandmother. The writing process for me witnessed a rise and dip in the graph of emotions as the works affected my sensibility, in their renderings of varied vistas of the country to which I could relate through my feelings.
The section of the collection, which I enjoyed, writing the best, was on the Artists of 20th century Modern India. They came from different regions, their academic qualifications, inspirations, and challenges of the time for a new authentic visual language took me on a winding path of seeking knowledge, which made them influential as well as pioneers in the establishment of Modern Art in India. Here my research on Modernity of South India, offered me perceptions, perspectives and insights, which I was able to extend in the study of the varied artists. Of course most of the artists in Sadhus’ Collection are iconic names from the early 20th to late 20th century. In analyzing and decoding their visual language, there emerged a highly personalized vision which took into consideration the artists personal experiences and their methodology of finding a correspondence through techniques, mediums and subject to express what they felt deeply. These sense perceptions were empathetic in the process of my writing, which allowed me to meander knowledgeably through their works, providing insights that made writing on their works a sheer pleasure.