Selected Editorials from NOW_e-version

ANANDA K COOMARASWAMY
The Indian Craftsman

Closely associated with the Tagore family of Jorasanko and the Swadeshi movement of Bengal, this eminent art-historian of the early twentieth century did not discriminate the art of the rural folk with the great religious arts of the rich and urban people. He saw it as conscientious expression of both the artisans as well as the civilization that nurtured it. Creativity of an ordinary earthen pot was equally valuable to him as with that of a gigantic temple. This is a rare and important book by Coomaraswamy who is regarded as the successor of Blake, Ruskin and William Morris in aesthetic point of view.

Bholanath Bhattacharya
Krishna in the traditional paintings of Bengal

This monograph deals with the history of the pat in various parts of India, the evolution of the pat of Bengal with a special analysis of the Kalighat branch, the patuas, and lastly the history and significance of the Krishna cult in lndia in general and Bengal in particular and the place of this cult in the traditional painting of Bengal. Although the traditional pat of Bengal has had for its subject a host of religious and social themes, the present monograph seeks to introduce the reader to it through illustrations of pats from the author’s personal collection dealing with one particular Hindu deity, namely, Lord Krishna.