<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/sep/Mughals-1.jpg" alt="" />
In 2014, when French-German artist Edouard Baribeaud, chanced upon Indian miniature paintings during a research trip to Rajasthan, it felt serendipitous. &ldquo;I was impressed with the graphic and colourful paintings of Rajasthan; and the delicate and pastel tone scenes from the Kangra region. I just had to translate it to canvas,&rdquo; says the 32-year-old.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/sep/Mughals-2.jpg" alt="" />
What piqued Baribeaud&rsquo;s interest further were the visual parallels between Indian miniatures and early Italian Renaissance paintings. &ldquo;It was especially evident in the way Italian painters represented vegetation and rocks in gardens and nature,&rdquo; he says.
<img title="Artist Edouard Baribeaud" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/sep/Baribeaud.jpg" alt="Artist Edouard Baribeaud" /> Artist Edouard Baribeaud
Blending two seemingly disparate cultures, Baribeaud has come up with his first solo exhibition in India, titled The Nocturnal Vault, which is a conflation of the Indian miniature style, Western art historical subjects and contemporary everyday life elements. &ldquo;The Nocturnal Vault explores the theme of the night. I imagined it as a journey from dusk to dawn, where mundane and modern everyday life elements contrast with mythical elements. I wanted to create a dialogue between Indian and Western myths and stories on an imaginary stage,&rdquo; says Baribeaud. The dual elements are evident in his painting, Hold Onto Me, where you observe a woman&rsquo;s back against a puzzling visual scene of intense patterns and shapes. While the depiction of the female figure is reminiscent of the well-known motif, the Grande Odalisque, by French orientalist Jean August Dominique Ingre, a closer look at the scenery shows textile patterning that is reminiscent of Mughal d&eacute;cor. &ldquo;I want to underline the similarities and create a dialogue to show that at the end, art is a universal form of expression,&rdquo; he says.
But looks like Baribeaud hasn&rsquo;t got enough of India. &ldquo;I plan to travel to Rajasthan for a month. After that, I will return to Berlin with my head full of images and start a new series of work,&rdquo; he smiles.
Where: Galerie Isa, Great Western Building, Fort When: Ongoing, 11 AM - 6 PM Call: 66373432

A French-German artist blends Indian miniature art and elements of Renaissance to create his own interpretation

From Mughals to Michelangelo

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From Mughals to Michelangelo

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