Viewing of the GREAT ' Monet " Exhibition in Frankfurt 23rd April, 2015

Could not believe my stars when in Frankfurt had the opportunity to watch the above exhibition at the Stadler museum. 
Was ecstatic to watch the originals of Monet, and the history behind their making. Spent almost 4 hours at the exhibition soaking in the Art of not just Monet but major other impressionistic artist of the 19th and early 20th century.

Painting Exhibition in April 2014 in support of Girl Child education

With the organisers of the Charity 'BETI"

 The Exhibits

 Inauguration by Brinda Miller

Speech by Brinda

INDIAN ART FROM 7th AD TO 12th AD

The Post Gupta period in India is known for the progress in temple architecture
and sculpture. Major dynasties like, Pallavas, Cholas, Hoysalas in the south and
Palas, Senas, and Gangas in the east patronized this progress

Art during the Harshavardhana Period - 606 to 647 AD

 Harsha, ruled from 606-647 AD, over an empire in northern India. 
Harsha was perhaps one of the greatest conquerors of Indian history, and unlike all of his conquering predecessors, he was a brilliant administrator. 
He was also a great patron of culture. His capital city, Kanauj, extended for four or five miles along the Ganges River and was filled with magnificent buildings. Only one fourth of the taxes he collected went to administration of the government. The remainder went to charity, rewards, and especially to culture: art, literature, music, and religion.
The most significant achievements of this period, however, were in religion, education, mathematics, art, and Sanskrit literature and drama. 
The religion that later developed into modern Hinduism witnessed a crystallization of its components: major sectarian deities, image worship, bhakti (devotion), and the importance of the temple. Education included grammar, composition, logic, metaphysics, mathematics, medicine, and astronomy. These subjects became highly specialized and reached an advanced level.
Harshavardhana.

Nalanda University -6th centuary AD

Nalanda University

Nalanda was one of the world's first residential and most famous universities, i.e., it had dormitories for students.  In its heyday, it accommodated over 10,000 students and 2,000 teachers. 
Chinese pilgrims estimated the students between 3,000 and 5,000.
The university was considered an architectural masterpiece, and was marked by a lofty wall and one gate. Nalanda had eight separate compounds and ten temples, along with many other meditation halls and classrooms. On the grounds were lakes and parks.
The library was located in a nine storied building where meticulous copies of texts were produced. The subjects taught at Nalanda University covered every field of learning, and it attracted pupils and scholars from Korea, Japan, China, Tibet, Indonesia, Persia and Turkey.
The library at Nalanda University was an immense complex. 
 The exact number of volumes of the Nalanda University Library is not known but it is estimated to have been in the hundreds of thousands. The library not only collected religious manuscripts but also had texts on such subjects as grammar, logic, literature, astrology, astronomy, and medicine
The library was destroyed in 1197–1203 during the Muslim invasion in which Bakhtiyar Khalji sacked it and set it to flames. The library burnt for several days with black clouds hovering over.

Temple Art during the Gupta Period 300 AD to 600 AD

Vishnu Temple (often termed Dashavatara Temple) is located at Deogarh in Central India built in c. 500 AD.

 The temple is one of the earliest Hindu stone temples to still survive today.

 Built in the Gupta Period (320 to c. 600 AD), Vishnu Temple shows the ornate and beauty seen in Gupta style architecture.This temple is also a good resource for examining Gupta style sculptures and art.

Vishnu Entry frame of the Dasavatara temple.

The Dashavatara Temple or Vishnu Temple also called Gupta temple at Deogarh.

Art during the Gupta Period 320= 520 AD

India's Gupta Empire

The Gupta Empire in ancient India , ruled much of the Indian subcontinent in the period c. 320-550 AD.

The main rulers of the Gupta era were Chandragupta I (ca. 319-335), Samudragupta (ca. 335-376) and Chandragupta II (ca. 376-415).

 Under their rule, India experienced a period of relative peace and law and order which allowed scholarship, science and culture to flourish. As such, the period of the Gupta Empire is often described as India's Golden Age.

Great achievements in science, engineering, astronomy and mathematics, in logic and rhetoric, in arts, lierature, religion and philosophy were seen. Both Hinduism and Buddhism were practised. The earliest Hindu Puranas are believed to date from the Gupta period.

The Gupta period has left us many beautiful examples of architecture, scupture and painting. The paintings of the Ajanta Caves come from that period and are now registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Image: Wall Painting of Padmapani in the Ajanta Caves, India. (Public domain image.)