Posts
Preface
All the following pictures were taken in the Sultan Mahal at the Samode Palace. They are of the paintings on the walls and archways in that hall. So much details were found in so little space that I spent almost 1 hour just covering 1 of the walls which is no bigger than a large canvas painting. I took these pictures for all lovers of miniature paintings but mainly I took these pictures with my dear friend, Betsy , in mind.
Entrance Archway
Details-A series of Nautch girls decorating the archway
Entrance archway-see top of archway
Outer Room Walls
Details-Love Scene
Details- Hands Around the Window
Details within details-Nautch girl and musicians
Details within details-Maharajah Pleasuring his Favourite
Details-A Day in The Life of a Maharajah
One side of the Outer Room Wall
Inner Room Alcove 1
Inner Room Alcove 1
Details-A pair of Nautch girls (dancing girls)
Alcove 1
Inner Wall Alcove 2
(the wall where I spent 1 hour)
Details within details-Offering Water
Inner Wall Alcove 2
(the wall where I spent 1 hour)
Details-Fetching Water
Details within details-At The Well
Details - Returning To Palace
Details within details- Gossip
I stared at this man for a long time wondering what he was doing. I finally decided that he was a tax collector. This picture was badly taken because of the poor lighting and my lack of skills but after spending so long staring at this man, I felt compelled to share it here.
I hope one of you can shed some light on Who is he? for me.
Details-On the Archway
My Favourite
Details - My Favourite Nautch Girl (on the inside of another archway)
42 comments:
Wonderful! and wonderful that you could spend 1 hour inside the alcove. My men would have ever let me :o( I see why you love them, I love them too. Rosanna
Fantastic! Thank you so much Sans! With every post you write, you are making me putting India on my travel wishlist.(Still Japan is number one;D)
Good evening Your Highness, Princess Sans!:D I can't stop watching these beautiful photos. I should go to sleep becouse I'll have a early morning tomorrow. But my eyes and mouth are wide open when I'm looking these awesome places you are showing us. Or maybe it is a good idea go to sleep now and hope that I can travel in my dreams to those lovely places....
A little dreamer, piikko
Better than the crap in t.v. - so much to see, so many lovely details. No surprise you had to spend so much time there... ;O) Isn't it great that the magic of these artwork spreads even if you don't know the background, for example about Mr. Who-is-he? There might be historic background or myths or fairytales, but even if you don't know about that, you can enjoy the simple beauty and of course the artwork. Thank you for sharing this with us - and have a great week!
Greetings
Birgit
Everything inspires love in this beautiful alcove ...
These images belong to a past in which the "correspondence of amorous feelings" (Ugo Foscolo) passed first through the eyes :-)
Today you turn off the light in the bedroom ;-)
Mini hugs, Flora
So beautiful, thanks for sharing, I could sit and look at these for ever!
And so inspirational! I think my favourite is the same as yours, or perhaps the lady with a little child on her arm.
Dear Sans! I am Humbled. I am AWED. I am amazed. I am ENCHANTED! I am in Heaven! I can't stop looking at these paintings that defy description! The BEAUTY... not just of the whole, but of every little tiny detail is stunning! I am INSPIRED! But truly, I am so aware of the Vast distance I would have to travel in my abilities as a painter to even Begin to be able to paint like these artists have done! The DEVOTION, the LOVE that is evident in EVERY detail... the knowledge and familiarity of the daily scenes of living... the intimacy.... the mundaneity... The reverence for LIFE in all it's little parts.... I ADORE this post! You have ENRICHED my life Hugely with all these pictures of walls I might never see with my eyes! I Bow down in thanks to you! And I know I don't deserve to be the only painter mentioned here..... but I am SO glad you thought of me and are sharing these extraordinary paintings! You have made me a VERY HAPPY collector of Miniature Visions! Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Okay , I'm going to go paint.....
Sans Sweetie,
Those drawings are fabulous! Love them all. Thanks for taking us on a trip to India. :)
Hugs
Zillions of details...magnitude of these paintings is overwhelming!! Beautiful treasures! And thank you for the beautiful photos!
Re: the mystery man...perhaps a street performer toting his gear and carpet with "donations" for the day in hand ;) xox
Beautiful Sans! I could spend days in the palace drinking in the beauty.
Thank you
Hugs
Victoria
Hi Sans! These pictures are so lovely! It's like I got to travel to India just now--really lovely and beautiful! Thank you! :-)
I have seen many places in the US, Europe, and Southeast Asia, but I have never been in India. Thanks
you showing all the beautiful pictures!
Beautiful! India is definitely on my list of "have-to-see" countries.
Christine
woahhh i love these pictures :O it's like reading manga hee! i wanna figure out who that 'tax man' is also HRMmmm
Sans your photos are beautiful, really I enjoy visiting your blog,
Ana
Rosanna, that's the good thing about travelling with friends. We have a deal to do what we want and feel no obligations. I was in the hall by myself while Joyce slept in and Yuc was having breakfast. We met at lunch time.
When I was in Taiwan and wanted to visit the Miniature Museum 2 days in a row, my other 2 friends went shopping :).
I travel in 3 alot :)
Ewa, I have been to Japan twice! One time on a performing tour (trip of a lifetime!)
Have I ever told you that if I am not a Singaporean, I will like to be a Japanese? ..hahaha
You need a travelling companion to Japan?
Sans, que preciosas imagenes.
Si en fotografia son tan especiales, debe ser alucinante verlas en vivo y directo.
Que fantastico post, esto confirma que hay que visitarlo jejejeje
besitos ascension
Those blues and reds, my head is swimming in them! I could never mix cobalts or turquoise that deep and glowing, ever. When a place is filled to the brim with art that wonderful, that makes you just sit and marvel at something as simple as color, that's true magic. Now I'm going back to drink in all the wonderful reds.
(And examine the birds, closer) Thank you so much for sharing this incredible palace with us, Sans.
Sans! I have to comment again... these paintings are so enchanting! Don't you love the disregard for scale and perspective! This was also the same in earlier Medieval painting where the size of the figure had to do with its importance and not to do with placement in the landscape... and often the same figure is portrayed doing different tasks in the same painting....
I love the woman cooking... she is so elegant and graceful! And do you see the little hen followed by her row of chicks? And The dog with her puppies suckling from her teats just like they really do....
As for your Tax man.... I have no idea what he is doing.... but he must be carrying his pillow... or is it a boat? Perhaps it is the artist who painted himself into the painting in a way only he would ever know..... You are right... we will never know.
I am enchanted by these paintings and I want to thank you again for thinking of me! :):):):)
Piiko, hallo! We seem to keep meeting each other late at night when it is bedtime!!
O boy, I am being swarmed by many flying insects attracted to the light from my computer screen ...helpppppppp!
Birgit, so funny that you should mention crappy tv. My TV is always on and I am almost never watching it these days....
Do you know the fact that I still cannot figure out who he is bugs me no end.
I just googled "tax man featured in Indian wall painting" to see if anything shows up. And guess what? My post showed up !! arghhhh
Flora, I nearly titled that painting "Kama Sutra" ;).
I wish you 24 wonderful inspired nights without the lights on.....That's the number of positions in the Kama Sutra ")
Helene, it was hard to move away from the paintings. The light was also really bad inside the hall and that added to the time spent there.
Actually I truly enjoy these paintings only when I am back here, looking at the enlarged photos.
Just wondering how long these paintings are going to last if they are unprotected like this ...but heck, they have already lasted 100s of years..:)
Betsy, your art has affected people. The fact that I thought of you when I was 1000 miles away from home with no proximity to any computers and therefore the blog world is testament to that :).
As long as your art speaks from your heart, people will be moved :).
I am so happy that you love these pictures :):). That doubled, tripled and quardrupled all the pleasure of taking these pictures for you :)
It was good that you have travelled with me , Norma S :). I really hope you had enjoyed yourself :)
Love your interpretation , Alison. Do you think he could be a pickpocket?
V, so could I :)
Jennifer :) that's Incredible India for you :). I have missed visiting so many of you ...I will try to pop by and say hi soon. Life should be calmer after June 11...
Kathy O-O!!!! You have been to South East Asia??? And you didn't pop in and say hi to me ?? hahahaha
Of course I was joking but if ever, ever you travel to this part of the world again, you must try and come to Singapore :). I am such a big admirer of you and it will be such a pleasure for me to play host to you . :)
Christine, I often wonder why it took me so long to see India. I can go to India every year and still I think there will be something new for me to see, do or experience.
Ya, Cindy...it is like reading manga ..hehehe
Thank you Ana ! :)
Oh Sans! How much I envy you these trips!!! It would be fantastic to travel there with you!:D
(When I was very young I thought how cool it would be to marry a Japanese boy! LOL!)
Ewa :) , if we put our minds to it, it will happen :). I envy your job sometime. You get to go out so often :)
Amy, how often I had wished I could paint. And now quite late in my life, when I found that I could paint little furniture, I thought it a better than good compromise. I already feel so blessed. And you guys who can create art in these miraculous ways, you must, I don't know, had helped many helpless creatures and people in your past life :):) :) to be bestowed with such a gift.
I love turquoise and blue used to be the only colour in my life (yes, a long long time ago when I wouldn't buy anything that didn't come in blue).
About mixing, when I read about how the miniaturists (painters) in India mixed their colours, it blew my mind. They only used minerals and vegetables even precious stones, pure silver and gold. So elaborate a process it is for them that sometimes it takes weeks, even months to get the desired results. That's dedication, man!
Betsy, I too noticed the total disregard and proportion and perspective. How charming and brave, I thought :) to throw all the rules out of the window :).
I too love that woman . The artists obviously favour women because they were so much better looking than the men he (more likely a He)/she depicted :).
But you know what? I didn't notice the hen and the chicks until you pointed them out to me and they brought a huge smile to my face! And the puppies! Soooooooooooooooo
sensitive of the painter :):).
Gorgeous!
It's all paintings, not tile work?
I love the red alcove.
These are absolutely gorgeous!!
It's painting on tile Dale.
I agree Divya :) You must be so proud!
Post a Comment