1800's Indian Art

 

    This piece is called Escapade at Night, created between 1800-1810 by Chokha, an Indian artist. This creator followed in his father's footprints of art creation, and from what I can withdraw from the description, this piece is modeled after a poem. This piece in particular shows a man climbing to his forbidden love, who resides in a guarded castle.

    I selected this piece because I really love the aesthetic of Indian art during this time. I really enjoyed the 2D nature of previous styles in this class, and love that Indian art from this time period calls back to that. It's very easy to get sucked into overly detailing your piece, but that business is very overwhelming to look at. 

    The first detail really sticking out to me is the use of color. I think it's very unique in comparison to what we've studied previously. Instead of using color to draw attention to certain details, every part of this piece appears to be of equal importance. Even the spots with more focused color are muted, meaning no element overpowers the art. 

    Secondly, I adore how the artist uses line. Unlike many pieces we've studied, he makes no attempt to achieve symmetry, sharp corners, etc. Instead, you can see each line is imperfect. Some are curved, some are jagged, some don't quite finish. Bay doing this, there is an extra layer of interest, that draws the viewer in. 

    Finally, the use of space is a striking artistic element. By leaving an empty space at the edges, it feels like the viewer is watching from the outside, almost as if they are peering through a window. Instead of looking at a solid image immortalizing a moment in time or fantasy, you are watching live as events unfold.

    I find this piece to be extremely pleasing. It's very simple and toned down, so I feel comfortable when I view it. If I had the opportunity to own it, I'd 100% take it. I think it would be especially nice as a notebook cover or card, so I could own it and look at it more frequently than wall art. Because this piece feels so organic, I'd hate to just hang it up.

    This piece is called Maharana Sarup Singh Inspects a Prize Stallion, painted by Tara between 1845-1846. Tara stands between traditional Indian art and photography. He trained his children to follow in his footsteps, and began taking photos shortly after this was painted. It stands as a bridge between two eras, and I think that makes it quite interesting.

    The first thing that sticks out is the scale of the piece. It is very off-kilter. Whereas most painting's we've viewed uses color to draw attention, this piece uses size. The horse is the largest thing in this image, and bystanders sit in the corner, smaller than even the dog. However, at the top of the piece, there are some seemingly more important bystanders, who are more realistically scaled. 

    Secondly, there is a very interesting texture at play here. Mainly I noticed this when looking at the women at the bottom, because the artist has painted their outfits in such a way that they seem to glow. Despite the flat nature of the piece, they appear to have golden embroidery on their outfits, which is a very stunning detail I don't notice anywhere else.

    Finally, I really love the artist's use of color. The pallet is limited and muted, while still holding vibrancy in the places that matter. Instead of the brightest parts having the most significance, it's inverse. The green in the background is the most vibrant detail, whereas the figures and horse have a softer hue. 

    I think this piece is really interesting, although I don't like it as much as the previous one. As much as I enjoy experiment, I'm not the biggest fan of manipulating scale, as it gives me too many things to process at once. In an abstract piece, it doesn't matter as much, but when I'm supposed to be viewing a scene from real life, I get very disoriented. 

    This piece is called Hanuman Bearing the Mountain with Medicinal Herbs, with no specific artist credited, painted in India around 1800.  This image is a devotional for Hanuman, and one of his many heroic and Godly acts. In Indian culture, Hanuman is a God, who commands a monkey army and commits many acts of bravery and valor.

    Firstly, I think the use of line is very interesting. Everything is very continuous, and flows well together, funneling the viewers eye towards the God in the center. By doing this, the viewer looks over every inch of the piece. They don't have to seek it out, they're given a tour by the very design of the painting.

    Secondly, color is very unique in this piece. Red really dominates, and this makes the artwork seem like it's alive, and thriving. Personally, it reminds me of blood or a heart. I am unsure if this is the association red had in India, and tracking down specific meanings during the 1800's renders a little bit of a muddied answer. For me, it makes me think that he is carrying some sort of life force or power, much like blood does. 

    Finally, the artists use of space is very interesting. I love how there's an emptiness around the God, whereas the people in his spiral are crowded together. To me, this conveys that he is in his own realm. He is powerful, while common people watch from the sidelines, crowded together and riding his coattails.

    I like this piece a lot. It is the perfect mix of surreal and realism, that really brings me a lot of joy. I think that I would own this, because it has carefree energy to it, and I really enjoy that. It would be really lovely as a tapestry or some similar form of wall hanging. 

    Overall, this assignment helped to teach me about the different values in art. In Western art, it seems that realism and reverence are far more valued. The more detail the better. However, in these pieces, the emphasis is on the subject matter, and it is kept simple in order to encourage full appreciation of the subject matter.

Citations

“Escapade At Night.” Metmuseum.org, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/73261.

“Hanuman Bearing the Mountaintop with Medicinal Herbs.” Metmuseum.org, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/37960.

“Hanuman.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/topic/Hanuman.

“Maharana Sarup Singh Inspects a Prize Stallion.” Metmuseum.org, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/61429.