Painted Poems: Rajput Paintings from the Ramesh and Urmil Kapoor Collection

With their vibrant colors and dynamic compositions, the paintings created for Rajput patrons in Northern India are like stories come to life. Dramatic scenes from Hindu epics and religious texts are depicted–the playful Krishna tames the snake demon Kaliya by dancing on its hood; the angry Vishnu manifests himself as half man, half-lion to challenge an unbeliever; the noble Shiva becomes so enchanted by his bride Parvati that he loses himself in her gaze. Other paintings capture striking moments from daily life at court: a ruler watches the blow-by-blow combat between two elephants; a prince seeks the advice of a guru; a young woman kneels in prayer before a shrine. Painted poems presents 80 evocative paintings from the collection of Ramesh and Urmil Kapoor, many of which have been donated to the Norton Simon Museum. To provide background for the reader, author Pratapaditya Pal discusses the tradition of Rajput painting, then offers insightful commentary on each of the paintings featured. The volume also includes an appendix of English translations of the paintings inscriptions.