The spirit of Indian painting : close encounters with 101 great works, 1100-1900

Through Close Encounters With Over A Hundred Carefully Selected Works, Spanning Nearly A Thousand Years, And Ranging From Jain Manuscripts And Pahari And Mughal Miniatures To Company School Paintings, B. N. Goswamy Unlocks The Many Treasures That Lie Within Indian Painting. In An Illuminating Introduction, And As Goswamy Relates The Stories Behind Each Work And Deciphers The Visual Vocabulary And Language Of The Painters, He Brings To Life The Cultural, Social, And Political Milieu In Which They Were Created. Lavishly Illustrated, And Combining Erudition With Great Storytelling, The Spirit Of Indian Painting Reveals The Beauty Of This Richly Varied Body Of Work In A New And Brilliant Light. -- Publisher's Description A Layered World -- Close Encounters With 101 Great Works -- Visions. Hiranyagarbha: The Cosmic Egg -- A Bodhisattva, Possibly Ratnapani -- The Goddess Green Tara Dispenses Boons -- The Heavenly Court Of Indra -- Rival Armies Meet Across The River -- Krishna Subdues Trinavarta, The Whirlwind Demon -- Umar Slays A Dragon With Naphtha -- The Prophet Ilyas Rescues A Prince -- The Great Goddess In Her Chamunda Form -- Neptune, Lord Of The Seas -- The Speaking Tree -- The Virgin And Child -- The Goddess Saraswati Enthroned -- The House Of Bijapur -- Rama, Sita And Lakshmana In Exile -- King Kamsa In His Inner Apartments -- Kamsa Attempts To Kill The Newborn Child -- The Celestial Chariot -- Krishna Lifting The Mount Govardhan -- The Devi Rides In State -- Shiva, Ever Solicitous Of His Other Half -- Shiva And Parvati Among The Clouds -- Indra Dancing -- Meru, The Golden Mountain -- Vasudeva Takes The Infant Krishna Across The Yamuna River -- The Great Goddess Battles The Demons -- Rasamandala: The Eternal Dance -- The House Of The Pandavas Is Set On Fire -- The Emergence Of Varaha: Boar Incarnation Of Vishnu -- A Boat Adrift On A River -- The Devi Diagram -- Rama, Sita And Lakshmana Cross The Ganga -- King Dasharatha's Cremation -- Shiva And His Family -- Vishvarupa: The Cosmic Form Of Krishna -- Krishna Storms The Citadel Of Narakasura -- Three Aspects Of The Absolute -- Observation. A Chameleon -- Learned Disputations Between Jain Monks -- Portrait Of The Emperor Akbar -- A Young Scholar -- Two Camels Fighting -- 'when The Lamp Of Life In Extinguished' -- Perils Of The Hunt -- A Mine Explodes During The Siege Of Chittor -- Ibrahim Adil Shah Ii -- An Old Sufi -- Jahangir With A Portrait Of Akbar -- Jahangir Preferring A Sufi Shaikh To Kings -- Jahangir Takes Aim At Poverty -- The Emperor Jahangir Giving Audience -- Two Tulips And An Iris -- The Dying Man: Inayat Khan -- Jahangir Receives Prince Khurram -- The Capture And Death Of Khan Jahan Lodi -- An Encampment In The Hills -- The Rao Of Kutch's Procession Outside Anjar -- Raja Sidh Sen Of Mandi: An Informal Portrait -- Raja Balwant Singh Examining A Painting With Nainsukh -- Villagers Around A Fire -- The Krishna Story Enacted: The Rasalila Continues In The Mewar Royal Palace -- A Royal Tiger Hunt -- Rao Ram Singh I Of Kota Pursuing A Rhinoceros -- Rawat Gokul Das Of Deogarh At Singh Sagar -- Two Portraits Of Kala, The Sepoy -- Maharaja Narinder Singh Of Patiala In Procession -- Portrait Of A Priestly Figure -- A Lady Of Rank -- A Group Of Courtesans -- Passion. An Elopement -- Longing And Union -- Remembering That Fawn-eyed Beauty -- The Musical Mode Of Gaudi Ragini -- Raga Vasanta -- Radha And Krishna Exchanging Roles -- Gazing Fondly Into The Mirror -- The Longings Of Love -- Distraught Krishna -- A Glimpse Of The Loved One -- The Bower Of Quiet Passion -- The Boat Of Love -- To Set Out With Eagerness: The Abhisarika Heroine -- 'unending Passion': The Ratipriya Heroine -- 'as Desire Rises' -- 'abashed At Her Delight; Of Her Deep Joy Afraid' -- The Pavilion Of Love -- Re-enacting Krishna's Marvellous Deeds -- Nala Enters Damayanti's Apartments -- Glimpsing The Beloved And Pining For Her: Princes Long For The Beauteous Lavanyavati -- Two Lovers -- In The Role Of Krishna -- Contemplation. Intimations Of Mortality -- Five Holy Men -- A Gathering Of Sufis -- Meditating Dervish -- A Yogini -- Saptarishi: The Seven Sages -- Maharao Kishor Singh Of Kota Celebrating A Religious Festival -- The Sufi Saint Shah Sharf 'bu Ali' Qalandar -- A Priestly Figured Seated. B. N. Goswamy. Previously Published In 2014 In The Indian Subcontinent By Penguin Books India--title Page Verso. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 556-560) And Index. This magnificent, lavishly illustrated book by India's most eminent and perceptive art historian, B.N. Goswamy, will open readers' eyes to the wonders of Indian painting, and show them new ways of seeing and appreciating art. An illuminating introductory essay, 'A Layered World', explains the themes and emotions that inspired Indian painters, the values and influences that shaped their work, and the unique ways in which they depicted time and space. It describes, too, the characteristics of the different regional styles, the relationship between patrons and painters, the milieu in which they created their works, and the tools and techniques the painters used. The second part of this book consists of 'Close Encounters with 101 Great Works'. Carefully selected by Prof. Goswamy and spanning nearly a thousand years, these works range from Jain manuscripts, and Rajasthani, Mughal, Pahari and Deccani miniatures, to Company School paintings. His description and analysis of these works unlock the treasures that lie within them and show us how to 'read' each painting, as he points out its finest features, explains its visual vocabulary and symbolism, and recounts the story, legend or event that inspired it. Combining deep scholarship with great storytelling, this is a book of enduring value that will both educate and delight the reader. It is destined to become a classic.