National Gallery of Victoria showcases Lord Krishna and Lord Rama
A new clientele is illustrated in an early-nineteenth-century folio, also depicting Rama’s coronation, from a manuscript in the NGV collection (fig. 7).
National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) in Melbourne (Australia) is showcasing Lord Krishna and Lord Rama images in an exhibition “Gods, Heroes and Clowns” till October 4th, 2015.
It includes over 50 rarely seen works from India and other Asian countries going back to 18th century. It presents “a large, elaborately painted cloth from India, Patachitra depicting scenes from the life of Krishna, which depicts more than sixty incidents from the life of Krishna, including his birth, childhood pranks, flirtations with the gopis (female cowherders), his love for Radha, the destruction of demons and the flight from Gokul to Vrindavan”, per NGV announcement.
The exhibition also includes ceremonial temple hangings depicting scenes from epics Ramayana andMahabharata; shadow puppetry materials regarding Ramayana; wayang kulit, wayang golek, wayang golek purwa and wayang golek cepak puppetry materials regarding Mahabharata; 19th century Bhagavad-Gitaillustration; and 1886 album telling the story of Bima from Mahabharata.
Founded in 1861, NGV holds a collection of over 70,000 works and claims to be “the oldest and most visited gallery in Australia”. Tony Ellwood is the Director, Bruce Parncutt is Trustees Council President and Carol Cains is the Exhibition Curator.
http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/essay/devotion-and-idolatry-the-conflicting-purposes-of-a-nineteenth-century-indian-deity/
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