இலண்டன் சைவ மாநாடு (சிறப்புமலர்)
7வது சைவ மாநாடு
Ignorance of Westerners
There was a time when the Westerner's
conception of Oriental Art was nothing short of
sheer ignorance. It ceased to be funny or even
pitiable when it became, as often it did, impertinent
and patronising. Even Vincent Smith, an authority on
the history and archaeology of India, wrote at the
beginning of this century in no less a place than the
Imperial Gazetteer of India: "After A.D. 300 Indian
sculpture properly so-called hardly deserves to be
reckoned as art. The figures of both men and
animals become stiff and formal, perception of the
facts of nature almost disappears, and the idea of
power is clumsily expressed by multiplication of
members. The many-headed, many-armed gods
and goddesses whose images crowd the walls and
roofs of many a temple have no pretentions to
beauty and are frequently hideous and grotesque."
Such opinions showed that the greatest
archaeological knowledge was no guarantee of any
comprehension of true Oriental Art unless the
patronising ignorance was dissipated and the
Westerner emancipated from the fetters of foreign
art formulas in the evaluation of Eastern art forms.
It was this kind of barbarian's opinion of Oriental art
that Coomaraswamy set out to correct.
In his Introduction to the Art of Eastern Asia he
takes in hand the education of the West in the ideals
of the East. The technique of this pedagogic
prophetship was to explain the ideals and prepare
the mind for a better understanding and readiness
for appreciation. It was not enough to enable them
to admire only what happened to appeal to their
taste at first sight. Such liking may be based on
purely accidental qualities or even on complete
misunderstanding. He showed them, as to
kindergarten children, typical and great Asian art,
and then told them how to understand and appreciate
it. He told them that no art was exotic or quaint in
its own environment, and as long as such feeling
existed they were far removed from properly
understanding what was put before them.
To bring about this understanding and
sympathy Coomaraswamy puts down in precise
terms what is art from the Eastern point of view. It
is not (as the Westerner thinks) an individual
creation, produced only by persons of peculiar
sensibility, working in well-lit studios and driven by
an irresistible urge to self-expression. It is, on the
contrary, a form of civilization, produced by trained
professional craftsmen, a statement informed by
ideal beauty. Statement is the body; beauty the soul.
இலண்டன் 2004
These cannot be divided
into separate entities. A
work of art is both an
occasion for ecstasy
and the fulfilment of a
utilitarian purpose,
sacred or secular, in an
age for which it was
meant, for people for
whom it was meant.
We can understand
Cont
without effort and at first sight only the art of our day
and lace. But the more absolute the beauty of an
alien work, the more fully it is what it was intended
to be, the less intelligible will be its functioning. But
to call it, therefore, mysterious, quaint or grotesque
would be only giving our own ignorance ugly names.
Such works were never obscure for those for whom
they were originally meant.
Coomaraswamy gives the explanations
required, the background necessary to enable the
idle mind to recognise beauty in the unfamiliar, and
disintegrates those prejudices that stand in the way
of free responses and activity of the cultured spirit.
He establishes conditions which make it possible
for the mind to acknowledge ungrudgingly the
splendour of the work itself, to relish its beauty or
even its grace.
A bibliography of his work on art alone would
fill 20 pages. But his studies for 40 years have not
been confined to art only. He has touched many
subjects connected with Eastern Culture that would
make it easier for the Westerner to understand the
East and the Easterner to realize the greatness of
his own heritage. In all his books and writings,
through all the dispassionate, scientific language
runs a message of co-operation through fellowship,
understanding and sympathy between East and
West as equals.
But Coomaraswamy is not merely an
interpreter of India to the West but very much more
: the inspiration of a new race of Indians who are
no longer anxious to be anglicised, convinced that
real progress must be based on national ideals,
national culture, and national individuality based on
these.
He made us open our eyes to the beauty, the
grandeur, the glory around us. We who thought we
were primitive he ennobled. He rescued us from
poverty by digging deep and discovering treasures
we never thought we had. From blindness to light,
from poverty to riches, from darkness to sunshine
Coomaraswamy delivered us.
Curtsey:- Kisan World June 2003
157
7
வது
சைவ
மாநாடு
Ignorance
of
Westerners
There
was
a
time
when
the
Westerner's
conception
of
Oriental
Art
was
nothing
short
of
sheer
ignorance
.
It
ceased
to
be
funny
or
even
pitiable
when
it
became
as
often
it
did
impertinent
and
patronising
.
Even
Vincent
Smith
an
authority
on
the
history
and
archaeology
of
India
wrote
at
the
beginning
of
this
century
in
no
less
a
place
than
the
Imperial
Gazetteer
of
India
:
After
A.D.
300
Indian
sculpture
properly
so
-
called
hardly
deserves
to
be
reckoned
as
art
.
The
figures
of
both
men
and
animals
become
stiff
and
formal
perception
of
the
facts
of
nature
almost
disappears
and
the
idea
of
power
is
clumsily
expressed
by
multiplication
of
members
.
The
many
-
headed
many
-
armed
gods
and
goddesses
whose
images
crowd
the
walls
and
roofs
of
many
a
temple
have
no
pretentions
to
beauty
and
are
frequently
hideous
and
grotesque
.
Such
opinions
showed
that
the
greatest
archaeological
knowledge
was
no
guarantee
of
any
comprehension
of
true
Oriental
Art
unless
the
patronising
ignorance
was
dissipated
and
the
Westerner
emancipated
from
the
fetters
of
foreign
art
formulas
in
the
evaluation
of
Eastern
art
forms
.
It
was
this
kind
of
barbarian's
opinion
of
Oriental
art
that
Coomaraswamy
set
out
to
correct
.
In
his
Introduction
to
the
Art
of
Eastern
Asia
he
takes
in
hand
the
education
of
the
West
in
the
ideals
of
the
East
.
The
technique
of
this
pedagogic
prophetship
was
to
explain
the
ideals
and
prepare
the
mind
for
a
better
understanding
and
readiness
for
appreciation
.
It
was
not
enough
to
enable
them
to
admire
only
what
happened
to
appeal
to
their
taste
at
first
sight
.
Such
liking
may
be
based
on
purely
accidental
qualities
or
even
on
complete
misunderstanding
.
He
showed
them
as
to
kindergarten
children
typical
and
great
Asian
art
and
then
told
them
how
to
understand
and
appreciate
it
.
He
told
them
that
no
art
was
exotic
or
quaint
in
its
own
environment
and
as
long
as
such
feeling
existed
they
were
far
removed
from
properly
understanding
what
was
put
before
them
.
To
bring
about
this
understanding
and
sympathy
Coomaraswamy
puts
down
in
precise
terms
what
is
art
from
the
Eastern
point
of
view
.
It
is
not
(
as
the
Westerner
thinks
)
an
individual
creation
produced
only
by
persons
of
peculiar
sensibility
working
in
well
-
lit
studios
and
driven
by
an
irresistible
urge
to
self
-
expression
.
It
is
on
the
contrary
a
form
of
civilization
produced
by
trained
professional
craftsmen
a
statement
informed
by
ideal
beauty
.
Statement
is
the
body
;
beauty
the
soul
.
இலண்டன்
2004
These
cannot
be
divided
into
separate
entities
.
A
work
of
art
is
both
an
occasion
for
ecstasy
and
the
fulfilment
of
a
utilitarian
purpose
sacred
or
secular
in
an
age
for
which
it
was
meant
for
people
for
whom
it
was
meant
.
We
can
understand
Cont
without
effort
and
at
first
sight
only
the
art
of
our
day
and
lace
.
But
the
more
absolute
the
beauty
of
an
alien
work
the
more
fully
it
is
what
it
was
intended
to
be
the
less
intelligible
will
be
its
functioning
.
But
to
call
it
therefore
mysterious
quaint
or
grotesque
would
be
only
giving
our
own
ignorance
ugly
names
.
Such
works
were
never
obscure
for
those
for
whom
they
were
originally
meant
.
Coomaraswamy
gives
the
explanations
required
the
background
necessary
to
enable
the
idle
mind
to
recognise
beauty
in
the
unfamiliar
and
disintegrates
those
prejudices
that
stand
in
the
way
of
free
responses
and
activity
of
the
cultured
spirit
.
He
establishes
conditions
which
make
it
possible
for
the
mind
to
acknowledge
ungrudgingly
the
splendour
of
the
work
itself
to
relish
its
beauty
or
even
its
grace
.
A
bibliography
of
his
work
on
art
alone
would
fill
20
pages
.
But
his
studies
for
40
years
have
not
been
confined
to
art
only
.
He
has
touched
many
subjects
connected
with
Eastern
Culture
that
would
make
it
easier
for
the
Westerner
to
understand
the
East
and
the
Easterner
to
realize
the
greatness
of
his
own
heritage
.
In
all
his
books
and
writings
through
all
the
dispassionate
scientific
language
runs
a
message
of
co
-
operation
through
fellowship
understanding
and
sympathy
between
East
and
West
as
equals
.
But
Coomaraswamy
is
not
merely
an
interpreter
of
India
to
the
West
but
very
much
more
:
the
inspiration
of
a
new
race
of
Indians
who
are
no
longer
anxious
to
be
anglicised
convinced
that
real
progress
must
be
based
on
national
ideals
national
culture
and
national
individuality
based
on
these
.
He
made
us
open
our
eyes
to
the
beauty
the
grandeur
the
glory
around
us
.
We
who
thought
we
were
primitive
he
ennobled
.
He
rescued
us
from
poverty
by
digging
deep
and
discovering
treasures
we
never
thought
we
had
.
From
blindness
to
light
from
poverty
to
riches
from
darkness
to
sunshine
Coomaraswamy
delivered
us
.
Curtsey
:
-
Kisan
World
June
2003
157