Painted prayers : women's art in village India

Name/Title

Painted prayers : women's art in village India

Entry/Object ID

N7302.H89

Description

For hundreds of years, Indian women have passed on to their daughters the art of ritual wall paintings, ground paintings and decorations that function as messages to the Gods. It is the women who are responsible for communication with the deities on behalf of their families. Some ground paintings are daily rituals, made every morning at dawn, while wall paintings and bas reliefs are often created for special festivals, to honour the Gods as well as to attract their benevolent attentions. Stephen P. Huyler, an art historian, ethnologist, writer and photographer who has spent his life studying India's folk art, presents this richly illustrated account of the centuries-old artistic traditions of women in village India, presented in 170 full-colour photographs that evoke both the women's rich artistic heritage, and the pride and pleasure with which they regard their creative responsibilities. The informative text details the traditions, rituals and beliefs behind this little-known art form and places the works in the context of contemporary Indian women's lives and the social realities of India today.

Collection

Carol Westfall Collection

Lexicon

Search Terms

carol westfall collection, hindu art, india, painting--india, women artists

Legacy Lexicon

Category

Book

Book Details

Author

Stephen P. Huyler

Publisher

Rizzoli

Date Published

1994

Call No.

N7302.H89

ISBN

847818098, 9780847818099

LCCN

93049404

Notes

Length: 203