Gates of the Lord Now Showing in Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago Exhibition
Gates of the Lord: The Tradition of Krishna Paintings
Read about this exhibit open until January 3, 2016
More than 100 pieces are shown in this beautiful exhibition. Gathered from both private and public collections, this is the first such showing in a major US museum.
Not only is the artwork stunning, it gives us a view into the religious tradition of Pushtimarg, a Western India Hindu sect.
Founded in the 16th century by the saint and philosopher Shri Vallabhacharya (1479–1531), the Pushtimarg is a religious community dedicated to the devotion of Shrinathji, a divine image of the Hindu god Krishna as a seven-year-old child. The religious and artistic center of the sect is based in the temple town of Nathdwara (literally, “The Gates of the Lord”), near Udaipur in the state of Rajasthan, India. Scholars and artists have long been fascinated by the distinctive and highly aestheticized manner in which members of this group venerate Shrinathji, as well as by the legacy of miniature paintings created as a record of such worship. This exhibition showcases centuries of pichvais (textile hangings) and miniature paintings that have been created by and for the Pushtimarg in devotion of Shrinathji.
Walk through the galleries and travel through a year in Nathdwara. Miniature paintings, photographs, reconstructed shrines, music, sketchbooks, manuscripts are all part of this display by 20th and 21st century artists.
Thank you to the Art Institute of Chicago for the original article and photo
