A Brief History of Visual Contextualization in India: The Bengal Renaissance and the Birth of Modern Indian Christian Art

Hindostan or British India map, c.1864.

Continuing in my intermittent series on visual contextualization in India, I want to give an overview on the Bengal Renaissance and its influence on 20th century Indian Christian artists.

Orientalist official of the
East India Company (circa 1760)

After the decline of the Mugal Empire in the mid-17th century, India came under the rule of various regional leaders called rajas.  About a century later, the privately-funded British East India Company took control over large areas of India, exporting cotton, silk, indigo dye, salt, saltpetre, tea and opium to Britain and Europe.  It eventually ruled over "India with its own private army, exercising military power and assuming administrative functions... In the modern era, its history is strongly associated with corporate abuse, colonialism, exploitation, and monopoly power."  It was absorbed into the British government's direct control in 1874.

A Brief History of Visual Contextualization in India Part 4: Saint Thomas Christians

For this installment in my series "A Brief History of Visual Contextualization in India," I'll be discussing India's first Christian community, the Saint Thomas Christians (or "Nasrani").  Saint Thomas Christians traditionally live in the southwestern coastal state of Kerala and descend from a union of the local Indian population with a Jewish diaspora community, who had become Christians in the earliest days of the faith.  The Saint Thomas denominations use a Syriac liturgy in their church services and trace their spiritual heritage back to the assumed arrival of the Apostle Thomas ("Doubting Thomas") in southern India in 52 A.D.  In the third century, Nestorian Christian missionaries from the Church of the East in Persia began to settle in Kerala and organize the churches there according to their beliefs and liturgy.  Later in 1665, due to religious pressure from Portugese Catholics, the Saint Thomas Christians began to split into various factions along Catholic/Nestorian lines.  Today, this schism has resulted in several different Saint Thomas denominations, including Nestorian, Catholic, Orthodox, and even (since 1961) Evangelical!

Indian Church Art (or lack thereof)

Here are two paragraphs quoted from Jyoti Sahi's latest blog post at Jyoti Art Ashram. I have included some comments at the end.

The Indian Christian Artists Forum

Please Note: All posts on this blog are intended for informational purposes only, not as an evaluation or endorsement of any artist, art form, organization or website.  If you have concerns about the accuracy of any information presented please contact the author at hmsarthistorian@gmail.com.

I recently came across a news story about a group of Catholic Christians in India who are getting serious about deepening the connection between their faith and the visual arts. The story describes the formation of the Indian Christian Artists Forum, which seeks to "promote study and appreciation of Christian art among various sections of the people- clergy, religious and laity in the church, and the wider society in India, and to encourage a deeper understanding, appreciation and application of Indian Christian art in theology, liturgy and architecture in the Church in India." The forum was convened by artist/priest Dr. Paul Kattukaran, and consists of fifteen renowned artists from various parts of India. At their inaugural meeting in August, the group appointed Kattukaran as the national coordinator for the forum.

Indian Christian Art Exhibition Opens in Goa, India

Please Note: All posts on this blog are intended for informational purposes only, not as an evaluation or endorsement of any artist, art form, organization or website.  If you have concerns about the accuracy of any information presented please contact the author at hmsarthistorian@gmail.com.

Angelo da Fonseca, Ecce Homo. 33x48cm

From the Times of India:

Goan artists bridged Christianity and eastern religions: ArchbishopTNN | Nov 26, 2014, 02.13AM IST 

OLD GOA: Archbishop of Goa and Daman Filipe Neri Ferrao inaugurated the Indian Christian Art Exhibition at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Archiepiscopal palace chapel, Se Cathedral premises, Old Goa. 

"This inter-religious dialogue was actively promoted by the likes of Angelo da Fonseca and Angela Trindade, both from Goa through their art, a bridge of understanding between Christianity and eastern, particularly, Indian religions," the archbishop said.  

The exhibition highlights the images created by the late Goan artists Angelo da Fonseca and Angela Trindade, apart from Alfred Thomas, Sr Genevieve SMMI and Sr Claire SMMI. The exhibition is conducted by Art-i, Christian Artists' Forum, Art-i established by the Office for Social Communications, Catholic Bishops' Conference of India, Delhi.

Fr Dominic Alvares SFX welcoming the archbishop and the dignitaries, said that the Indian Christian Artists' Forum has found a great patron in Ferrao in promoting the Indian images of Christ and the Goa archdiocese should lead other dioceses of India in promoting Indian Christian Art.

The co-ordinator of Indian Christian Artists' Forum, Art-i, Fr Paul Kattukaran presented an Indian image of Christ "My Guru" done by the late Goan artist Angelo da Fonseca as a token of inculturating Christian faith in India.

The exhibition will be open from 9am to 7pm everyday till the last day of the Exposition of the Sacred Relics of Saint Francis Xavier; January 4, 2015.

Book Review: Holy Ground: A New Approach to the Mission of the Church in India

I just finished reading Holy Ground: A New Approach to the Mission of the Church in India, a survey of contextualized church architecture in India by Jyoti Sahi. 

Sahi adds his own insights, as well as background information regarding the historical context of the architectural styles.  The text is accompanied by scores of black and white photos.  The first four chapters deal with the historical background of how colonialism has affected the church in India and its image among Hindus.  The other six chapters deal with indigenous architectural styles, as grouped under specific themes: ashrams, prayer rooms, the church as a teaching aid, etc.

The premise for Sahi's survey is that church architecture is an outward expression of the church's theology.  He begins by affirming that inculturation is based on the Incarnation itself, and as a result, church architecture can “[intensify] the senses of the worshipper, so that ultimately God is experienced as incarnated into the life and physical being of the worshipper” (16).  He also stresses that artistic creation is “itself our way of of worshipping God – what in Indian spiritual tradition is called the individual's sadhana (devotional path or search)” (17).  Sadly, however, Sahi concludes that “enthusiasm for an Indian type of Church... has changed a great deal [since its height in the 1960's] and is apparently a spent force.  There seems to have been a growing sense within the Indian church over the past fourteen years that other concerns [poverty, etc.] have a priority” (13). 

A Brief History of Visual Contextualization in India: Part 1

In today's post I am beginning a brief series on contextualized visual art in India.  You might call it a collection of "highlights."  A major source of information for the series is the new book Christian Themes in Indian Art from Mughal Times to the Present (I own a copy that I am practically drooling over).

However, we should begin at the beginning, with the Indus Valley Civilization.  This was the first "great" civilization of India that built cities and left some form of material culture and art, though tantalizingly little.  Its religious beliefs, though still largely unknown, appear to have had at least some influence on one of India's subsequent major religions, Hinduism.

Patheos.com writes that

relatively little is in fact known about the details of the religious world of the Indus Valley civilization. Based on archaeological remains, however, it seems that this was a religious world that was particularly focused on ritual bathing and animal sacrifice, elements that may be the source of later Hinduism's attention to the purifying qualities of water and the centrality of sacrifice. Furthermore, a great many female figurines have been discovered in the ruins of the cities that date to this period. These seem to have been goddesses, and may have been particularly associated with fertility rituals.

Scholars have speculated that these figures are origins of the many goddesses who populate the vast Hindu pantheon. Male figures have also been found on stone seals. Some of these seals depict a seated figure surrounded by a variety of animals, including bulls. These images lead some scholars to label these "proto-Shiva" figures, since the great god Shiva is generally associated with animals (he is sometimes called "Pashupati," the Lord of the animals) and more particularly linked with the bull, which later becomes his special "vehicle."

New Book: Christian Themes in Indian Art from Mughal Times to the Present

While I'm working on a short history of contextualized Christian art in India, I came across this recently published book titled Christian Themes in Indian Art from Mughal Times to the Present.  Sounds like a really comprehensive volume (428 pages), so I took the plunge and ordered a copy from India (see more on ordering info below-- you can get it cheaper than Amazon).  Here are the highlights from the online description:

This book is a pioneering work, showcasing Christian themes in Indian art from the beginnings of Christianity in India till today. The authors have, in the main, death with paintings and sculptures, but have supplemented this with one chapter on architecture, particularly that of church buildings, and one on popular art, including stamps. Around 1,100 rare colored illustrations make this publication a unique reference book. It is the first complex treatment of the theme done in the last 25 years. Special emphasis is givin to artists who as Hindus, Muslims and Parsees have chosen to paint Biblical themes...

The authors always give a short biography and then highlight hi/her works connected with the theme... Christian artists include the late F.N. Souza, who simultaneously hated and loved his Christian childhood God, and artists like A.D. Thomas, Angela Trindade, A Fonseca, V. Masoji, F. Wesley, C.J. Anthony Doss, Alphonso Doss, S. Raj, and J. Sahi, all who stand for the attempt to incorporate the Christian gospel into the Indian culture. This original research includes many young talents. An extensive Bibliography, Glossary and Index make this book a real reference source for many years to come.

I would suggest ordering the book on bookfinder.com, rather than Amazon.  However, beware that for copies shipping from India, the shipping charge may be revised upon ordering to approximately $45 due to the weight of the book, which you will be asked to approve first.

A Brief History of Visual Contextualization in India: Mughal Art

Christ as Salvator Mundi, 17th century.

Continuing with my series on visual contextualization in Indian art, I'll now turn to a another chapter in India's art history: Mughal Art.  The Mughal Empire was an Islamic ruling power in India from 1526-1858, although its "classic period" lasted from 1556-1707.  At its height, it controlled most of India, and parts of Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.  Besides trusty Wikipedia, I also will also be referring to Crossing Cultural Frontiers: Biblical Themes in Mughal Paintings by Som Prakash Verma (or more information about the book, see Amazon).

Chinese Nestorian Headstone

From the University of San Francisco Ricci Institute for Chinese-Western Cultural History:

THE LOTUS & THE CROSS: EAST-WEST CULTURAL EXCHANGE ALONG THE SILK ROAD 

This online exhibit replicates the exhibition of large-format photographs of stone tombstones from Fujian province in South China and stone crosses from Kerala state in South India was mounted in September 2007 in conjunction with the Lotus and Cross symposium.

Christian Headstone with Canopy

Yuan dynasty (1272—1368)

Quanzhou Maritime Museum

Ricci 20 KP 020 Z24

A canopy or parasol was used in ancient India to protect kings and other royals from the sun, and it subsequently became a symbol of power and prestige. It was natural to use a canopy in association with the Buddha as he had been a prince before attaining enlightenment. It can be seen in the early Buddhist art of India, and was transmitted to Central Asia and China where it appears, for example, at Dunhuang. A similar canopy to the one shown on this tombstone can be seen on a panel relief on the Eastern pagoda of the Kaiyuan Temple in Quanzhou, completed about 1250.

The discovery of the canopy’s presence on Christian tombstones of the Mongol period is quite remarkable, and yet explicable in the context of the multiculturalism of Quanzhou. The canopy has tassels or streamers dangling from it and protects the cross emerging from an open lotus flower.

Christian Folk Art from India

Here's a recent exhibition that I wish I could've seen-- "Christian Folk Art from India" at Augusta Savage Gallery at UMass from December 12 - 16, 2011, where

each piece in the collection is a painted cloth scroll depicting a Christian story or concept... the scrolls were used by Chitrakars, traveling painters/storytellers in the Bengal province of India, and the scrolls were used to help illustrate the stories that the Chitrakars shared with communities. 

In the 20th century, they occasionally used their traditional motifs and techniques to portray Christian subjects.  Also included in the show are works by Christian Indian artist Frank Wesley, as well as other Christian artworks and artifacts such as brass crucifixes, clay creches, posters, and other objects.

The works in the collection are owned by Georgana Falb Foster, 83, an independent scholar of South Asian studies and member of the American Council of Southern Asian Art.  In the 1990s, she gave the collection to the Museum of Art at the University of Iowa as a research collection.  She has given papers at the Conference of South Indian Religion and the Wisconsin South Asian conference and is a co-author of a chapter on the pilgrimage to the popular goddess Vaishno Devi in Jammu in "Sacred Geography of Goddesses in South Asia" Scholarly Books (2010).

Mandana Painting in India

I've been on a bit of a hiatus lately while working on some artwork on a deadline.  So today's post is a bit short, but about an interesting art form nonetheless.

"Challenges in Conducting a Christian Art Exhibition in India" by Paul Kattukaran

Please Note: All posts on this blog are intended for informational purposes only, not as an evaluation or endorsement of any artist, art form, organization or website.  If you have concerns about the accuracy of any information presented please contact the author at hmsarthistorian@gmail.com.

The coordinator of Indian Christian Artists’ Forum, Art-i, Fr Paul Kattukaran (r)
presents an Indian image of Christ "My Guru" done by the late Goan artist
Angelo da Fonseca to Archbishop of Goa and Daman Filipe Neri Ferrao as a
token of inculturating Christian faith in India.

For reflections on the challenges that have faced the Indian Christian Art Exhibition mentioned in my last entry, click here.  The post's author is Paul Kattukaran, the Coordinator of the Indian Christian Artists’ Forum (Art-i).  For a news story about the opening of the exhibition (pictured above), click here.

Despite several setbacks, Kattukaran writes:

With all the challenges, the exhibition of Indian Christian Art in Old Goa is a success on different counts; first of all most Goan Christians and many at the national level came to know of the exhibition through the print media and internet, especially UCAN news. Secondly, this exhibition inaugurated and blessed by the Archbishop of Goa has become a stepping stone for Christian Art ministry in Goa and India.

A Brief History of Visual Contextualization in India: Hindu Art

Krishna Flirting with the Gopis, c. 1780–1820

As I stated in my last post in this series, both Hindu and Buddhist art in India grew indirectly out the Indus Valley/Harrapan civilization (3300–1300 BC), with each religion developing its own styles and subject matter.  Buddhist art came to prominence first, around the first century BC, and continued to be prominent in India through the 16th century AD.

Diwali 2013

From Reuters: Hindu women arrange oil lamps and flowers around a "Rangoli",
a traditional pattern made from coloured powders, during the celebrations ahead
of the Hindu festival of Diwali in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad [on]
November 1, 2013. Diwali, the annual festival of lights will be celebrated across
the country on November 3.

Sunday marked the beginning of the 5-day Northern Indian Hindu festival of Diwali, or the Festival of Lights (in South India it is called Deepavali).  Like Dashain in Nepal and Navratri in India, Diwali celebrates to victory of the Good over the Evil and Light over Darkness.  On the first day of Diwali, part of the festivities include drawing designs called rangolis on the ground in front of the entrance to one's home, as a form of welcome to the Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity, Lakshmi.  Here is my own version of a Christocentric Rangoli that I've posted about previously:

 [A rangoli is] meant to be sacred welcoming [area] for the Hindu deities" (Wikipedia).  This one shows the pierced feet of Jesus in the middle, welcoming Him into one's home.  John 1:1-5 tells us,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

This week may Christ's light shine in our hearts and be made manifest in our lives through His Holy Spirit!  May His Gospel speak to others through us as we welcome Him each day.  Pray for Hindus throughout the world that Christ would speak to their hearts during this festival and reveal Himself to them as the true Light of the World who has come to save us.

Diwali 2012

Today marks the beginning of the 5-day Northern Indian Hindu festival of Diwali, or the Festival of Lights (in South India it is called Deepavali).  Like Dashain in Nepal and Navratri in India, Diwali celebrates to victory of the Good over the Evil and Light over Darkness.  On the first day of Diwali, part of the festivities include drawing designs called rangolis on the ground in front of the entrance to one's home, as a form of welcome to the Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity, Lakshmi.  This brought to mind another painting of mine...

Angelo da Fonseca: Portrait of an Eclectic Genius

Please Note: All posts on this blog are intended for informational purposes only, not as an evaluation or endorsement of any artist, art form, organization or website.  If you have concerns about the accuracy of any information presented please contact the author at
hmsarthistorian@gmail.com.

Vivek Menezes reviews an article by Rupert Arrowsmith in the current issue of Art India magazine about the legacy of one of India's greatest Christian artists, Angelo da Fonseca.

Menezes writes:

Until his death in 1967, [da Fonseca] painstakingly created a magnificent oeuvre of uniquely cross-cultural paintings that are among the most remarkable contributions to 20th century art from any painter, anywhere in the world. 

But until 2014, the artist's reputation never caught up to his achievement. As Arrowsmith notes in 'Portrait of an Eclectic Genius', "it is very telling that Angelo da Fonseca...has needed to wait until this year for his first ever inclusion in a survey of the Indian 20th century icons."

Christian Identity vs Ethnic Identity | The Lausanne Global Conversation

I recently came across this post at the Lausanne Cape Town 2010 website.  The author (a Christian from India) laments how ethnic conflict is rampant among various groups in northeast India.  He struggles with how to personally respond, and even questions whether he is more motivated by his ethnic identity or by his Christian identity.

Headstone with Lotus and Cross

While I'm slowwwwly writing the next post on my series A Brief History of Visual Contextualization in India, here's a cool image from the USF Ricci Institute for Chinese-Western Cultural History that I came across showing a beautiful Christian headstone from China.  It dates from the Yuan dynasty (1272—1368) and is now located in the Quanzhou Maritime Museum.  The caption reads:

Headstone showing a cross on a lotus flower and a cloud design set within a plain border following a curved outline. This basic design is repeated extensively in the Christian monuments dated to this period, although its iconographic import is unknown.

Mehndi-style Nativity by Marcia Carole

The Nativity, pen and ink, watercolor by Marcia Carole

Artist/missionary Marcia Carole is working on a series of watercolor and mehndi Christmas cards based on her travels in India and study of mehndi/henna designs.  Above is the first one of the series, The Nativity.  She writes,

I am working on a series of watercolor and mehndi Christmas cards. I jumped right in with creating the nativity scene. Some of the piece developed around the flow of the watercolor. I used lots of flowering lotus blossoms representing the flowering of God's plan to recuse us through Jesus. I tried to also portray a cave, the barn of sorts, for the setting, and the unusual star assigned to mark the spot where the savior arrived.

The Nativity is beautiful and I can't wait to see the others in the series!  Check out her blog for future images and ordering info.  You can also order 11x14 giclee prints of her other recent mehndi painting, God's Story:

God's Story, acrylic on canvas, by Marcia Carole