31/05/2018
Image with narrative: an old, important, and enduring art form.
The month of Ashadha in the Hindu calendar (mid-May to mid-June) marks the beginning of monsoon season in northern India. This painting illustrates a verse from a poem by Keshavadasa. Part of the inscription at the top of the picture reads: "The swift, furious winds in all directions whirling are likened to the thoughts of those far from wife and home." While the painter followed some of this description, he varied the scene to suit his imagination. Rain descends in steady lines, sac-shaped hummingbird nests swing on trees in the wind, a peacock rests on the rooftop, and white cranes soar beneath the storm clouds. Below, a husband and wife keep snug within their house. Simultaneously, the householder gives food to an ascetic, whose uncut hair and nails and raised arms emphasize that he has remained in one posture throughout the season.
"The Month of Ashadha: Onset of the Monsoon," c. 1650, India http://ow.ly/uZX930khdg8
