The career of Y.G. Srimati-classical singer, musician, dancer and painter-represents a continuum in which each of these skills and experiences merged, influencing and pollinating each other.
Born in Mysore in 1926, Srimati was part of the generation much influenced by the rediscovery of a classical Sanskrit legacy devoted to the visual arts. Soon swept up in the nationalist movement for an independent India, she was deeply moved by the time she spent with Mahatma Gandhi. For the young Srimati, the explicit referencing of the past and of religious subjects came together in an unparalleled way, driven by the conscious striving for an indigenous agenda. This experience gave form and meaning to her art, and largely defined her style.
As John Guy demonstrates in this sumptuous volume, as a painter of the mid and late twentieth century, Y.G. Srimati embodied a traditionalist position, steadfast in her vision of an Indian style, one which resonated with those who knew India best.
John Guy is the Florence and Herbert Irving Curator of the Arts of South and Southeast Asia at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and an elected Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, London, and of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, He formerly served as Senior Curator of Indian art at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. He has curated numerous international exhibitions and is widely published in journals and collected volumes. His major books include Indian Art and Connoisseurship (ed. 1995), Vietnamese Ceramics: A Separate Tradition (1997), Woven Cargoes: Indian Textiles in the East (1998, repr. 2009), Indian Temple Sculpture (2007, repr. 2017), Wonder of the Age: Master Painters of India (2011), Interwoven Globe: The Worldwide Textile Trade, 1500-1800 (co-author 2013), and Lost Kingdoms: Hindu-Buddhist Sculpture of Early Southeast Asia (2014).
This book has grown out of a chance encounter in New York with YG Srimati's partner, the artist Michael Pellettieri in 2008, the year after the artist's death. In the course of looking for a home for Srimati's prized musical instruments four entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection Michael and I met, and the conversation turned from music, to dance, to painting, I was invited to view Srimati's painting in the apartment on the Upper West Side that Michael shared with Srimati for three decades Impressed by the finesse of these works, engaged by the classical subject matter, and moved by the resolutely unfaltering vision of an Indian style they exhibited, the fate of these paintings became a shared concern. Over the coming months, our conversation moved first to how we might secure a number of paintings for The Met and then. to develop the idea of an exhibition that might celebrate Srimati's work Through a combination of purchases and generous gifts, six works entered The Met's collection. All are included here. The exhibition. An Artist of Her Time YG Srimati and the Indian Style went on view at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York, in December 2016 and closed the following June (figs 1. 2). Featuring 25 works, the exhibition received wide media coverage and critical acclaim Holland Cotter described it as "this beautiful and important small show" in his review for The New York Times, while Apollo reviewer Louise Nicolson called it an "unexpected gem"
In the preparation of this book I take pleasure in recording my gratitude to Michael Pellettieri for allowing access to YG Srimati's estate and for undertaking much of the archival work with her personal diaries, exhibition catalogues, performance programmes, press clippings and related ephemera Sita Ramachandran, Mrs. YGP. and YG Rajendra are thanked for assisting with critical dates in Srimati's life Kalyani Madhura Ramachandran, research assistant to the exhibition, provided sterling support Finally, I am indebted to Betty Zimmer, a close friend of the artist who first met Srimati performing at the New York chapter of the Vedanta Society in the 1970s It was Betty who first proposed that a book be prepared to record Srimati's contribution to modern Indian art, and to bring her to the attention of Indian audiences who had not had the opportunity to enjoy her paintings Bipin Shah at Mapin Publishing responded enthusiastically to the project and his editorial, production and design team brought this to fruition in record time The Metropolitan Museum of Art generously shared photography of those works that featured in the exhibition Additional photography by Jeanette May Studio. To all I record my appreciation.
**Contents and Sample Pages**
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