Sachgebiete

Beschreibung:

XXIII, 210 S. 112 Tafeln. Mit zahlr. Abb. Originalleinen mit Schutzumschlag.

Bemerkung:

Umschlag leicht berieben, sonst gutes Exemplar. - This book concerns illustrations of the Ramayana, an epic poem with epic impli-cations for contemporary India. Familiar to most Indians, the Ramayana is an ever-evolving tale of a prince, his bride, demons -their adventures and dilemmas. Williams studies the art of Orissa, where she inter-viewed artists and observed their methods. Orissa is located in rieh rice-growing plains along the eastern coast between Bengal and Andhra, a region known for its elegantly carved and architecturally ambi-tious temples. Williams breaks new ground in consider-ing Indian pictures as sequences that teil a story in distinetive ways. Her narratological study considers many familiar genres of vis-ual art-illustrated manuscripts, drawings on palm-leaf paper, wall paintings, shadow plays, temple sculpture, painted cloth patas, and other popular and fine art. Williams points out that we often treat images designed to be seen in sequence as separate pictures. Instead, she argues that for a series with narrative content, we must consider several images in sequence to understand how the story is told. To restrict oneself only to formal analysis is to omit dramatic qualities such as variety, surprise, and emotional development sustained over a sequence of images. Williams analyzes var-ious works of the Ramayana scene by scene, discusses narrative strategies used by artists, and then offers interpretations of how and why the artists made their choiees. Williams discusses pan-Indian versions of the epic on film and video and in the comic strip as well as those local to Orissa, including versions performed in rural the-ater and festivals. ISBN 9780520080652