Publisher's Synopsis
A truly enjoyable and informative read. The chapters, from Coomaraswamy's childhood and burgeoning interest in art, through his swadeshi days, his crusading work in England, his scholarship and work as the keeper of Indian art in Boston, his relations with the female sex, his critical and creative output and the varied revaluations of his life and works, make for a very well-rounded image of the "human" who was touched by the "superhuman." Dr Pal employs a methodology that is natural to him but that is difficult and is among the cutting-edge approaches of contemporary scholarship - I mean participatory research using autoethnography. He does this naturally because he looks for a personal connection with his theme and discusses it in a seamless fashion in his research. In this case, it is even more appropriate since Dr Pal succeeded Coomaraswamy in his office at the MFA Boston. The way in which he braids his personal interactions and practical knowledge into the life of Coomaraswamy in Boston, illuminating details and making significant comparisons, is a study in how a personal voice can enrich one's subject rather than drown it in insignificance. Dr Debashish Banerji Haridas Chaudhuri Professor of Indian Philosophies and Cultures and Doshi Professor of Asian Art California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), San Francisco.
