Showcasing trends in South Asian culture through art, the Hood Museum of Art's latest exhibit, "Realms of Heroism," thoughtfully pieces together elements of history, religion and tradition with a collection of brilliantly colored paintings primarily from the Indian subcontinent.
The exhibit boasts over 70 of these incredibly detailed paintings, which have been acquired through a loan from the Brooklyn Museum of Art in New York City.
Museum visitors will be able to see South Asian paintings which originated between the 16th and 18th centuries.
In general, the paintings were made using an opaque water color paint applied onto either a paper or fine cotton base. For this reason the paintings are quite fragile, a feature which dramatically increases their value.
Historically, the paintings originally served as illustrations which accompanied religious and secular texts and were usually commissioned by wealthy patrons.
The fact that these works were often used as accompaniments to text accounts for the small size of some of the works. Pieces range from textbook size to poster-board dimensions.
Despite the small size of some, the paintings are exquisitely detailed, a feature that fascinates most viewers.
The theme of the exhibit is the role of the hero in South-Asian culture.
The works in the exhibit are divided spatially to feature the four primary roles of heroes: as gods, epic warrior, historic rulers and lovers.
The exhibit is made more appealing by its decor. The set-up considers the architecture of the region from which the works hails. Welcoming the viewer at the entrance of the gallery is a wall topped with a Persian cornice. The walls of the exhibit contrast and are painted in hues representative South Asian earth tones.
The exhibit allows college students and community members to view art that has a significance beyond its immediate aesthetic quality -- art created to accompany secular texts.
The type of art featured is quite different than the sort that students in Hanover are normally exposed to. The Hood Museum continues to bring culture from the real world into the woods.
If a centerpiece of the exhibit had to be chosen it would be "Argan Div Bringing the Weapon Chest to the Amir Hamza," reproduced to the right.
The largest of the paintings in the gallery, "Argan Div Bringing the Weapon Chest to the Amir Hamza" comes from a Mughal manuscript, which is Persian in origin.
Telling an ancient story of wealth and power, it has been said that the tale has never been more beautifully illustrated than in this work.
The text panels accompanying the exhibit explain India's "long and rich history." They provide a background which museum goers will find helpful in understanding and interpreting the wide assortment of pieces.
The text panels do a wonderful job of explaining, for example, the life and role of Krishna, a Hindu god, who is depicted in a number of works. The explanations provide further insight into the paintings, fostering a much greater appreciation for their circumstances and content.
"Vaikuntha Darshana" is a beautiful piece, typical of the collection. Depicting the dream of an Indian prince who lived during the middle 17th century, it primarily illustrates a vision of Vishnu, the Hindu god of preservation.
Although the painting is smaller than nine by five inches it is filled with elaborate detail depicting the subject's features. The artist is able to convey everything from the emotions in subjects' gazes to the anklet's adorning women's feet.
This attention to the most minor aspects is very impressive. The fact that "Vaikuntha Darshana" was created not only on cotton, but is adorned and outlined with very fine gold work, is remarkable.
The collection is very complete, consisting of a number of scenes within each genre the collection focuses on. For example, within the paintings of Krishna, there are two different scenes painted in different centuries relating Krishna's romantic nature towards a group of females, known as the "gopis."
Artists depicted the two scenes of these "gopis" quite differently, with varying images and connotations. This allows the viewer a broader interpretation of the subjects being portrayed.
Finishing off the exhibit are manuscripts from the Dartmouth College Library, providing a visual example of the books that these paintings were once a part of.
The books are a collection of Hindu and Sandskrit manuscripts depicting love, epics, astrology and poetry.
On April 30, a feature lecturer, University of Vermont's Professor of Art History John Syeller, will be discussing the themes of these paintings at the Loew Auditorium at 5:00 p.m.
South Asian painting is rich in color, detail and history. The College is fortunate to be able to feature such an interesting and well planned exhibit. It is an opportunity that should not be missed by any student this term.
Introductory tours will be offered on April 26, May 17, and June 21 at 2:00 p.m. in the Gallery.
