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Mapping India: The Changing Perspectives of India in the Eyes of 16th century Europeans

November 20, 2012

Amy Lin of Saffronart offers a brief account of the history of India through European cartography

Sebastian Münster, Tabula Asiæ X’. Basel: Henricus Petri, 1545. Third Münster edition. Woodcut

New York: Until the modern ages, Europeans viewed India with a mix of enchantment and exoticism. This fascination is evident in the maps drafted by European explorers and scholars, among other documents. From antiquity to the Renaissance, the main source for Indian geographic information came from the Hellenistic cartographer Ptolemy’s Geographia. During the 15th century, the dawn of exploration coincided with the invention of printmaking, and revolutionized methods in cartography.

Laurentius Frisius,‘Tabula Asiæ X’. Strassburg: Joannes Gruninger, 1525. Woodcut

The magnificent maps of India included in the collection Imagining India on The Story by Saffronart date from 1525-1619. These documents chart changing European perspectives on the subcontinent – from a strange, misshapen land to a valuable center of trade for the West. Originally, there were 1,000 copies of most of these maps, but the majority did not survive over the centuries. Half science and half myth, these beautiful artifacts are both art objects and historical resources. For half a millennium, they represented India as a realm of the exotic, ever since Alexander the Great’s campaign first reached the peninsula in the 2ndA.D.

The earliest accounts of Indian geography were crude and rudimentary at best. Ptolemy poured over manuscripts at the Library of Alexanderia and complied the eight volume Geographia without setting foot in India. Well into the 16th century, scholars and mapmakers still relied on Ptolemy’s drafts for printing atlases. The German cartographer Sebastian Munster (1488-1552), featured in the collection on The Story, published editions of the Geographia where India’s southern peninsula was nonexistent. This reflected the fact that Alexander’s armies did not venture beyond Northern India, and the South remained unfamiliar to them.

Vasco de Gama leaves for India in 1497
Image Credit: http://thebilyards.wordpress.com/page/4/

The Age of Discovery brought Vasco de Gama to India in 1497. Soon, the European concept of ‘India within the Ganges’ began to broaden and a realistic image of the Indian landmass began to circulate among scholars. Jacobo Gastaldi (1500-1566), a Venetian cartographer featured in the collection on The Story, was among the first to bring a modern image of India to Europe. His engravings show for the first time the considerable length of India’s peninsula. Gastaldi also pioneered other pinnacle developments such as pocket size atlases and the use of copper engravings in mapmaking instead of traditional woodcuts to bring out greater detail and finesse.

The maps in the collection on The Story are more telling than one presumes. By simply surviving through the centuries, they give a chronological account on how Indian geography changes in the eyes of Europeans though discovery, science and innovation. Nevertheless, what remains at the core are beautifully executed engravings that showcase the skill of a craftsman and the imagination of an artist.

Giacomo Gastaldi, ‘Calecut Nuova Tavola’. Venice: Vicenzo Valgrisi, 1562. First Latin edition of Gastaldi

Spot on! Damien Hirst’s spot paintings exhibited worldwide

November 19, 2012

In conjunction with the the Damien Hirst spot print featured on The Story by Saffronart, Elisabetta Marabotto revisits the artist’s global exhibition, ‘The Complete Spot Paintings (1986-2011)’

Damien Hirst, Isonicotinic Acid Ethyl Ester, 2010–11.

Damien Hirst, Isonicotinic Acid Ethyl Ester, 2010–11.
Image Credit: http://www.gagosian.com/exhibitions/damien-hirst–january-12-2012-9/exhibition-images

London: For the few people who may not be familiar with Damien Hirst’s works, they can be categorized in three broad groups: colourful spots, medicine cabinets, and animals preserved in formaldehyde. However, the spot paintings are perhaps the most predominant element of his body of work, and definitely my favourite one.

Since the 1980s, the artist has been investigating the complex relationship between life, death and art using different media. He is one of the main figures of the collective known as the Young British Artists, who led the British art scene in the 1990s. Over the years, Hirst achieved international fame and success, and at one point was known as the world’s richest living artist. His works have always been quite controversial, but this is perhaps one of the reasons for his popularity and celebrity.

Damien Hirst, Installation view at Gagosian Gallery, London.

Damien Hirst, Installation view at Gagosian Gallery, London.
http://www.gagosian.com/exhibitions/damien-hirst–january-12-2012-2/exhibition-images

At the beginning of 2012, in conjunction with Larry Gagosian, Hirst planned to exhibit his spot paintings at Gagosian Gallery’s locations all over the world. So from January to March, every Gagosian Gallery was surrendered to the artist’s spot works. From New York and Los Angeles to London, Rome, Athens, Hong Kong, Paris and Geneva more than 300 paintings by Hirst were exhibited in Gagosian’s spaces.

Most of the works were lent by private collectors or public institutions, which made the exhibitions quite different depending on the location. For example, the round canvases were very popular in America, while the irregularly-shaped ones received great success in Europe and especially London.

Damien Hirst, Zirconyl Chloride, 2008.

Damien Hirst, Zirconyl Chloride, 2008.
Image Credit: http://www.gagosian.com/exhibitions/damien-hirst/exhibition-images

Among the many works on display were the first ever spot painting made by Hirst in 1986, the smallest spot painting measuring 1 x ½ inches, the largest spot painting depicting four spots each measuring 60 inches in diameter and the most recent one, dated 2011, comprising 25,781 spots! In the last, each of the spots measures 1 millimeter in diameter, and no colour has been used more than once.

Speaking about his spot paintings, Hirst noted: “I was always a colorist, I’ve always had a phenomenal love of color… I mean, I just move color around on its own. So that’s where the spot paintings came from—to create that structure to do those colors, and do nothing. I suddenly got what I wanted. It was just a way of pinning down the joy of color.”

From Damien Hirst, to Yayoi Kusama and Bharti Kher (allowing myself to compare bindis to colourfully painted dots) the spot seems to be firmly entrenched in the world of contemporary art and fashion. So why not take advantage of the Hirst spot print on sale at The Story by Saffronart and become part of this trend?

More information on Damien Hirst’s “The Complete Spot Paintings” can be found on the Gagosian Gallery website and on Hirst’s website.

A large retrospective of this celebrated artist was organized by the Tate Modern, London earlier this year. Read more.

The Printmaking of a Prolific Artist: Joan Miro and His Lithographs

November 18, 2012

Amy Lin of Saffronart explores the whimsical world of Joan Miro’s Lithographs

New York: Refused to be pigeonholed into one movement, Joan Miro (1893-1983) is remembered as one of the most influential Spanish artists of the 20th century. With an artistic career spanning almost a century, Miro saw the rise of Surrealism and Fauvism, and influenced generations of Dadaist and Abstract Expressionists. Miro’s own works evolved over the decades, becoming more abstract and imaginative through time.

Joan Miro by James Johnson Sweeney
1974
Lithograph on Guarro wove paper
13.5 x 20 in. (34.3 x 50.8 cm)

Miro experimented with lithographs at the most mature stage of his career. By the 1940s, Miro had fostered a distinctive style with dark outlines, organic shapes and bold colours that evoked a sense of sophistication and innocence. This style also used automatism (a Surrealist concept of drawing images from the subconscious) in rendering subjects. Miro would often lie awake in bed at night, sometimes not having eaten all day, and let images come to him in this dark and dreamlike state. In the morning, he would quickly jot them down.

Enchantments with variations in Miro’s garden
1975
Lithograph in colors on Guarro wove paper
19.5 x 14 in. (49.5 x 35.6 cm)

In its collection Dali to Damien Hirst, Saffronart features three signed, limited edition prints by Miro that beautifully illustrate his style and imagination. Joan Miro by James Johnson Sweeney is an example of Miro’s combination of childlike drawings with dramatic black outlines that dominate and dwarf the colours. Many of Miro’s influences came from his beloved Catalonia, where geometric forms meet nature, flora and fauna. The Enchantment of Variation’s in Miro’s Garden is the artist’s homage to his love for nature and its mysteries.

Miro’s attraction to printmaking partly came from his enthusiasm to collaborate with other artists. He rejected the solitary nature of painting and embraced opportunities to work with other artists and artisans to enhance his creative repertoire. Besides artists, Miro collaborated with poets and curators to transform his prints into posters and book collections. Exhibition Miro at the Galerie Maeght 1978 to 1979 is a lithograph created to promote a show of his work at Galerie Maeght in Paris. The print was also made into a much larger poster (160 x 120 cm) and featured on the cover of Miro’s Catalogue Raisonne of Graphic Works Volume VI.

Miro himself saw endless possibilities in his lithographs. He stated, “A painting is a unique example for a single collector. But if I pull seventy-five examples, I increase by seventy-five times the number of people who can own a work of mine. I increase the reach of my message seventy-five times.” Like many great artists, Miro wanted to share his beautifully mysterious universe with as many others as he could.

Exhibition Miro at the Galerie Maeght
1978/1979
Lithograph in colors on Arches vellum paper
30.5 x 22 in. (77.5 x 55.9 cm)

Cartier: A Chic Way to Wake Up

November 15, 2012

Manjari Sihare of Saffronart explores Cartier’s timekeeping history

New York: This week The Story by Saffronart offers a unique selection of watches and clocks in its collection, The Art of Keeping Time. An exquisite highlight of the collection is a Cartier Art Deco Alarm Clock from the 1990s.

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Of all luxury brands, perhaps one which most people are familiar with is Cartier. The firm established in Paris in 1847 by Louis-François Cartier, an apprentice to Parisian jeweler Adolphe Picard, who took over the business at the death of his master. In less than 6 years, by 1853, young Louis-François became a favorite of Napoleon III’s cousin Princess Mathilde, who was single handedly instrumental in his entry into Parisian society. For most part of the 19th century, Cartier was strictly a jeweler. It was not until the reigns of the company passed on to his sons, Louis, Pierre, and Jacques that the Paris jeweler’s name became synonymous with wristwatches.

In 1904, Brazilian aviation pioneer, Alberto-Santos Dumont complained to his friend Louis Cartier about the non–reliability of pocket watches which prompted Louis to craft a more reliable alternative. This was the birth of the Santos wristwatch which is considered to be the first men’s wristwatch to be created. A flat wristwatch with a square bezel, the legacy this pioneering design can still be seen in modern Cartier watches. In 1907, Edmond Jaeger and Cartier signed a contract under which all Jaeger’s movement designs for a period of 15 years would be exclusive to Cartier.

The next watches to be introduced in the range were the Baignoire and Tortue in 1912 followed by the Tank model in 1917. All three models are still in production today. This is the essence of Cartier, what makes the firm unique in so many ways. It is one of the few brands that still include versions of its most initial models in its current lineup. The pieces are literally timeless, as new models usually carry the DNA of vintage Cartier watches, constantly improved, slightly adjusted and re-released. Earlier this year (14 December 2011 to 12 February 2012), the ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore hosted the exhibition “Cartier Time Art” , the largest collection of historical Cartier timepieces ever displayed in public. Conceived by award-winning designer Tokujin Yoshioka, the exhibition aimed to take visitors on a journey to the heart of Cartier watch-making, and included 158 historical timepieces from objects dating to the origins of the firm to the present day. Bernard Fornas, CEO of Cartier International speaks about the show in this short preview.

This exhibition was special also because it showcased a large selection of alarm clocks by Cartier for the first time. Much has been written and seen regarding Cartier wristwatches but less is known about its alarm clocks. Fine Cartier clocks have been in production since the late 1800’s, longer than the wristwatches. It is important to know that almost every well known watch model by Cartier, from the Tank to the Pasha are all available as alarm clocks, and sometimes even as table clocks. The wristwatch cousins of both the Tank and Pasha alarm clocks were featured in our recently concluded Autumn Auction of Fine Jewels & Watches, 2012.

Cartier expert George Cramer encapsulates the chronological history of Cartier clocks from the early 1900s until now in a post on Revo-Online, the digital version of leading international watch magazine. Cramer is an authority on Cartier watches and operates Troisanneaux.com, non-commercial online library on men’s Cartier watches.

The Art Deco Clock features prominently in Cramer’s selection. He indicates that buying a second hand vintage clock is advisable provided it is the right model. Vintage Cartier clocks from the 1980s used a battery that is no longer available for replacement. Batteries of clocks from the 1990s such as the Art Deco one are more widely available making them a more favorable acquisition. Starting your day with the supple chime of a Cartier alarm clock is one of life’s modest luxuries!

The Story is Live!

November 9, 2012

Sneha Sikand of Saffronart on the launch of a new website for curated collections of beautiful and hard to find objects

New Delhi: The Story, a new website by Saffronart, where you can browse, learn about and acquire desirable objects ranging from fine art, home accessories to jewels and timepieces has just launched. What is interesting is that the collections are not necessarily what you usually find in a Saffronart auction. Understanding the desire for people to acquire items that appease their aesthetic sensibilities, The Story by Saffronart has put together a mix of age-old tradition and innovation in its collections.

S.H. Raza, Maa…
Serigraphy on paper
Image credit: http://www.saffronstory.com

The artwork collections comprise limited edition serigraphs and prints from masters of the modern art world, both Indian and international, as well as revivals of traditional forms such as Bundi miniature paintings, and as Mithila paintings from Bihar.

CALECUT NUOVA TAVOLA, GIACOMO GASTALDI, 1561
Copperplate engraving, Gastaldi’s new map of India
Image credit: http://www.saffronstory.com

Other collections range from beautifully crafted Chinese wedding baskets, to an exceptional set of antiquarian maps dating to the 16th century that chart India through the eyes of European explorers and cartographers. Objects available in ‘The Story’ are listed on the website for a limited period of time.

While every collection on The Story is unique, together they represent the meeting of tradition and innovation, age-old craftsmanship and contemporary design. Each collection has been put together around a narrative; an account of a culture, place, custom, genre or technique. Some of these stories have also been woven around the aesthetic sensibilities, experiences and memories of highly regarded individuals- The Story’s discerning tastemakers – who have agreed to share their knowledge, collecting experience and good taste with you through the collections they curate.

Collections from The Story are now available and can be viewed and purchased on the website saffronstory.com.