Page 44 - Studio International - January 1967
P. 44

The primitive and exotic




                               There's nothing quite so capricious as the interest which  teenth to the middle of the nineteenth century. And now
                               modern artists take in the art of other epochs and other  there's a fine exhibition of these at one of our leading
                               civilizations. At certain moments, for instance, African   avant-garde  galleries:  KASMIN'S  in Bond Street. To me,
                               art has seemed to play an important role in the develop-  one of the keenest pleasures of this show is the fact that
                               ment of modern painting—one recalls Picasso's so-called  it has been chosen with a thoroughly un-academic eye.
                               `negro period'. And artists have occasionally been great  There are, of course, a number of important things—like
                               collectors even today. Many people will recall the  the miniature shown here, which has all the vigour of the
                               fabulous collection of primitive sculpture made by the  court art of the Akbar period. Most of the miniatures,
                               late Sir Jacob Epstein.                           however, belong to later epochs—many come from the
                                Currently, the exotic works of art which seem to be most  vigorous local schools of Rajasthan. The various charac-
                               keenly attractive to practising painters are the Indian  teristic preoccupations of Indian art are well illustrated.
                               miniatures which were painted from the end of the six-  Here we see an aristocratic society, proud of its posses-


       Horse in Udaipur State Stable
       1761
       Rajasthani
       Kasmin Gallery
       Far right
       Pre-Columbian artist
       Seated woman c. A.D. 900-1200
       Terra cotta
       15+ in. high
       Gimpel Fils












       Girl smoking Hookah, with
       hand maidens (detail)
       late 18th century
       Mogul
       Kasmin Gallery
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