Indian Painting: The Great Mural Tradition
(Mira Seth)
A visual delight and a feast for the intellect this book covers art and history in a wide sweep. The author Mira Seth takes the readers on a conducted tour of the wall paintings of India. As acknowledgeable and skillful guide she does not merely point out or list the murals but also tells their histories acquainting the readers with various royal dynasties of those times. She does not stop at this. She further analyses the tradition of murals and sets out theories of their cross relations as are existing for over two millennial. Covering diverse sources such as Ajanta, Agra, Lepakshi and Kotah she recreates the then existing social, political and economic milieu and outlines the role played by artists,royal patrons, commoners, connoisseurs and the travelling communicators.Moreover she attempts, with good results, to discuss the murals along with the materials available in the region. As one reads about the murals of different places and different times, one realises that the tradition of Indian murals is not static. It is vibrant as well as moving. It has travelled not only within India but has also gone outside as evidenced from the similarities of motifs, designs and patterns. A comparison of the use of symbols and imagery and depiction of different forms of story telling is also a pointer to this. There is also an interesting relationship revealed between the divine, the royal and the commoner and lest one overlooks between the birds and the beasts. For artists and lovers of art,this book accentuates the genius of strokes and colours and the intensity of varying moods right from sensuous to renunciation and divinity. If someone wants to learn about customs and practices from the murals or just have the pleasure of seeing them, this book helps, too.
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