The Hindu Business Line : Royal collection unfolds poetry on canvas

The Art Corridor at the Taj West End, Bangalore, is where passion intertwines with the poetic… a passion for arts and poetry on canvas. On display till Wednesday here during an exhibition — ‘Glimpses of the Royal Mysore Collection’ — will be 68 paintings from the private collection of the Wodeyars of Mysore.

Most of them adorn the walls of the private apartments of the current Maharaja of Mysore at the Mysore Palace, and according to P.K. Mohan Kumar, Area Director and General Manager, The Taj West End, “is the first-time ever that the collection has been brought out of the Maharaja’s residence”. They have never been available for public view before, and perhaps never again!

The collection has paintings from different schools of art, says His Highness Maharaja Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wodeyar. He also has a huge collection of contemporary paintings, “which I had originally wanted to showcase in this exhibition”, he adds. “I personally see and buy the paintings; contemporary art is an investment so am willing to sell them; but antique paintings are not for sale,” he says.

The exhibition covers five categories of paintings created for the royal household. First are a series of exquisite traditional Mysore School devotional works, generally depicting Hindu deities or narratives important to the royal family and the local community.

The next category focuses on works of artists trained in western painting techniques who painted in the royal court, between the later 19th century and mid-20th century. The third section devoted to portraiture, rendered in both traditional and western styles, from the 19th century onwards makes up the largest portion of the exhibition.

The little-known miniature paintings of Karnataka comprise the fourth category. A small group of paintings, prints and objects of historical significance make up the last portion of the exhibition.

The Art Corridor itself bridges the heritage section of the hotel and the contemporary lobby, says Mohan Kumar. “We only exhibit exclusive works of art, and artists are only on invitation,” he adds.

“The Maharaja’s private art collection is a fine example of what’s in store for the future from the Art Corridor, which going forward would put on display only those works of art that are considered unusual and inaccessible by the connoisseur fraternity,” he says.