Self-Portrait: Writings and Interviews

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.

PAUL GAUGUIN
Noa Noa: The Tahiti Journal

One of the most prominent post-impressionist artists, Paul Gauguin left his family and country only to move to the country of the so-called ‘uncivilized’ Maoris for the sake of painting. There he stayed with the Maoris, noted every intrinsic details of their livelihood and collected their mythology and folklores. He detailed every aspects of them in this book, elaborated the picture of a great civilization. Added with these are reproductions of many of his black and white paintings drawn during his Tahiti days.