Mahabalipuram: Arjuna's Penance, Detail of Bhagiratha
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Photographer: Arthur Llewellyn Basham
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Amid the joyous procession of celestials and earth guardians, the ascetic Bhagiratha sits in contemplation, displaying the very essence of the austere nature. Around him other ascetics join his prayers before the shrine of Siva. The old holy man's form is treated with the same sympathy and understanding as those of the animals, but his very sacred character is not overlooked in the process. The slight stylization pervading the handling of this figure and of those near it is in no sense out of step with the nature of the scene or with the effectiveness of the composition as a whole, since it serves both to contrast with and to complement the surrounding decoration: the ascetic nature evokes austere treatment while the nature of animal life evokes organic treatment.
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Archives Series
Basham Collection
Date created
circa 1970s
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This item is provided for research purposes. Contact the Australian National University Archives at butlin.archives@anu.edu.au for permission to use.
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