On Art

7 October 2016 14:50

For the attn. Madam Munira ji Surati and Essa Shab-------------Art Art is expression of emotions and thoughts. Since time immemorial man has resorted to expressing some thoughts and emotions , without alphabet, through the medium of pictures, on wall, utensils, ceilings and coins too. Some people like the Chinese are peculiar to include pictures in their alphabet and some languages like Urduhave some characteristics like drawings. Though it remains a fact that when Urdu was given shape there were not enough idealism except the man’s urge to break out of the Dark Age shackles and rise into a new world. Bur before that even Mughal Kings gave prominence to the farsi language which was for some time official language of old India. The picturesque shapes in Urdu as we are seeing are of the origin of 19th century. Ancient India had its own legacy of paintings and idols and temples in the form of Art. But Art always took a back seat in the kingdoms of the Hindu kings . The Brahmins who wrote  epics had written many things in the religious books but had not included a single painting in the epics describing the physical features of the multi-Gods , their family members and the places of their residence . Learned thinking on Art is the peculiar quality of the Western Scholars. Let us examine some of their thoughts on the formulation of Art and its manifestations in the form of 1. Paintings 2. Sculpture 3. Architecture . These are the kinds of visual art. Hippocrates had described importance as “ Life is short, art long “ Art is ever lasting in the human history and art has been instrumental in understanding the historical incidents and the state of the society , appearance , physique, living conditions, public facilities like roads, lakes, weapons, vehicles like chariots, etc. They become part of history to understand social , political and cultural environment of the Society. Olden India is lacking in these aspects and we have no source to learn the living conditions , styles of living, customs etc until the westerners dug out our history from Mohan Jo Daro, Nalanda , Shilalekhs of Buddha period ( they are also unusual specimen of old art . made and forgotten . Let us concentrate on paintings. Some scholars have defined paintings like 1. Simonides of 6th – 5th century Before Christ as “ Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is silent painting that speaks . “ So even olden scholars had envisioned painting similar to poetry. Poetry is just not finding one word here and putting another there . It is a clear manifestation of the inner mind, some times even his sub-conscious mind , where experiences are stored , and take out the images slowly and steadily , Some Paintings take months to complete , is it not creditable for the artist to keep some images in store in the memory for months and years and then to draw the paintings ? The Greek painter Exekias ( period 550-480 BC --- refer my post on Facebook in Aug 15 ) The artist has drawn picture of two soldiers playng draughts . It tells us all things about the hobby, dress, weapons, furniture a painting on vase Some paintings of the battles fought in Europe were really credit worthy as the artist had kept even small details of the soil, clothes , weapons, dreess, manners etc. Take the example of the artist Paolo Uccello ( born 1397 ) He painted a painting of the Rout of San Romano , I had posted this painting in Aug 2015 describing features of the painting including dress, weapons, , war animals,Now see the painting of Velazquez drawn in the years 1635-1636 regarding surrender of Breda , this painting was posted by me in Aug 15 describing salient features of the painting including mannerism of the victors . ( Here I relax , the more matter will be posted later on )

Bharat R Pandya commented on his ownpost.

I also have a desire to stand at her grave and offer floral tribute when I shall visit Mumbai next Can any one including Amir Khan help in showing the graveyard ?