National Museum hosts exhibition of private donor's artifacts

A treasure trove of unique art pieces representing various eras and almost every region of the country is on display at the National Museum here.
Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism Shripad Naik today inaugurated the exhibition 'A Passionate Eye' which has a range of artifacts from private donors -- the Bharanys.
The 100 unique art pieces which donor Chotelal Bharany and his father Radha Krishna Bharany collected from Kerala, Bengal, Punjab and other parts of the country over the past century are being displayed in a specially designed gallery.
The exhibition has been curated by British art historian Giles Tillotson along with Mrinalini Venkateswaran and designed by Siddhartha Chatterjee.

The items include sculptures in stone, bronze, terracotta and wood; paintings on paper and cloth; manuscripts, textiles and coins.
They are diverse in terms of social context too, ranging from courtly art and elite items to rural and folk art.

Through its design, the exhibition seeks to reflect this variety and eclecticism. The objects included in this exhibition are only a small representative sample from the vast array of works that comprise the Bharany donation.
"It's a well placed collection. I thank the donor for such nice and precious paintings and all the material he has donated to the national museum... It is a part of our tradition, it shows us where India was and where it is now; and this artwork has kept this culture alive," said Naik.

Stressing the need for better organisation in art, he said, "Cultural initiatives need good management and planning just like in any other field and with better planning, good coordination and judicious allocation of resources our missions can achieve well.