The exhibition of 17th century Flemish paintings at the CSMVS (Chhattrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya) in Mumbai was the first of its kind and a rare event, funded by the Port of Antwerp. The rationale behind the idea was a collection of art offered from one harbour city to another, in recognition of the fact that port cities are doorways to other cultures.
The paintings were on loan from Antwerp's Royal Museum of Fine Art and the engravings from the Plantin-Moretus Museum. It was strange to see Western Art in the context of India - candlelit interiors, fine brocades, still life, biblical and mythological subjects, lovingly depicted in all their infinite detail. "The Massacre of the Innocents", "Samson and Delilah", portraits of wealthy patrons with elaborate lace cuffs and collars, emerging out of the Rembrandt-esque gloom of oil paint on canvas, perfectly lit with all the realism and skill of the artist. But what of the relevance for another audience, unaware of the strategically placed symbols and double entendres ?
But interestingly, the exhibition was also about the rising middle class of the time in Europe - the new bourgeoisie, about foreign trade and invigorating economies, made possible through contact between countries and continents. About reinforcing values and the structure of the family, emphasising the positive benefits of trade between nations.
Aside from this, seeing these art works, outside of the context of Europe, sharpened their narrative power and admiration for Flemish artists of the period.
The paintings were on loan from Antwerp's Royal Museum of Fine Art and the engravings from the Plantin-Moretus Museum. It was strange to see Western Art in the context of India - candlelit interiors, fine brocades, still life, biblical and mythological subjects, lovingly depicted in all their infinite detail. "The Massacre of the Innocents", "Samson and Delilah", portraits of wealthy patrons with elaborate lace cuffs and collars, emerging out of the Rembrandt-esque gloom of oil paint on canvas, perfectly lit with all the realism and skill of the artist. But what of the relevance for another audience, unaware of the strategically placed symbols and double entendres ?
But interestingly, the exhibition was also about the rising middle class of the time in Europe - the new bourgeoisie, about foreign trade and invigorating economies, made possible through contact between countries and continents. About reinforcing values and the structure of the family, emphasising the positive benefits of trade between nations.
Aside from this, seeing these art works, outside of the context of Europe, sharpened their narrative power and admiration for Flemish artists of the period.
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