Publisher's Synopsis
Within any collection of Indian paintings - whether illuminated manuscript pages, individual works from royal albums, or pilgrimage souvenirs - one will invariably find many featuring images of animals, either as a central theme or in a supporting role. This is true whether the painting portrays an Indian deity, illustrates an epic narrative, records the daily life of a prince or a common man, or depicts a favorite pet or hunting companion.;Lavishly illustrated in full coluor, The Holy Cow and Other Animals provides an account of the fascinating interaction among the realms of the animals, mortals, and immortals as represented in 38 paintings created on the Indian sub-continent between about 1400 and 1900. These works offer tantalizing glimpses into the dazzling worlds of form and color that distinguish the traditions of Indian painting.;Pratapaditya Pal is a renowned scholar and visiting curator of Indian, Himalayan, and Southeast Asian art at the Art Institute of Chicago. Betty Seid is exhibition coordinator and researcher in the museum's Department of Asian Art.
