Most
of the autumnal golds and tangerines have faded to paper-bag-brown. And neighbors are starting to hang their
boxwood wreaths. But I can’t stop
thinking about pink!
Earlier
this year, I had the opportunity to visit two amazing exhibits: Maharaja:
The Splendors of India’s Great Kings at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
and Worlds Within Worlds: Imperial Painting from India and Iran at the
Smithsonian’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. In fact, I visited them several times each.
The
two exhibitions focused on royal patronage of the arts in India. For hundreds of years, art, ritual and
pageantry were interwoven with the identity, both personal and imperial, of
India’s rulers and those close to them. Paintings
chronicled and idealized. Beautifully-crafted
and bejeweled artifacts legitimized regal authority.
Maharaja:
The Splendors of India’s Great Kings was organized by the Victoria and Albert Museum, from their huge Southeast Asian collection, and broadly
addressed the changing roles of maharajas, through shifts in power of India’s
political and ethnic dynasties and, of course, British rule, from the early-18th
century until India’s independence in 1947. By embracing tradition, and innovation, these
last kings encouraged the creation of stunning paintings, textiles, metal goods
and jewelry.
 |
Detail of Allegorical Representation of Emperor Jahangir and Shah Abbas of Persia
(from the St. Petersburg Album), ca. 1618
Decorative margins, not seen in this detail, were added later in 1747-48.
Opaque watercolor, ink, silver and gold on paper
from the Smithsonian's Freer and Arthur M. Sackler Galleries |
Worlds
Within Worlds: Imperial Painting from India and Iran dealt with
portraits, manuscripts and historical paintings of the Mughal Empire. Mughal rulers controlled most of southwest
Asia, India and the rest of the subcontinent, from the 16th until
the mid-19th century, and recognized the power of art to reinforce
their sovereignty, both home and abroad, justify their political ambitions,
build alliances and foster a sense of oneness within their vast empire.
At
the height of their influence, emperors Akbar (1556-1605), Jahangir
(1605-1627), and Shah Jahan (1627-1658) sponsored literary and academic
endeavors, supported ateliers and commissioned monumental buildings, including
the Taj Mahal, as advocates for a consciously new and identifiable Mughal
style.
Both
exhibitions confirmed that so many Indian rulers of the past, whether they
actually ruled or not, were extremely savvy patrons of the arts. Through the centuries, they understood the
role of art as propaganda – to define and promote ideals of beauty and piety
and kingliness – and to acknowledge India’s diversity of cultures and
religions. It was also a way to develop
local economies and make sense of new customs that were continually being
introduced through travel and trade. They
appreciated fine craftsmanship and were genuinely fascinated with artistic
styles from other places, including Europe.
But
what was the most prevalent aspect of each exhibit? Pink, of course!
Despite
the dimmed lighting and hushed crowds, the museum galleries seemed to glow
pink, like the inside of a conch shell… a pink cocoon, warm and joyful. The paintings, in particular, whether majestic
 |
Portrait of Maharana Amar Singh
ca. 1700
Opaque watercolor on cotton cloth
from the Victoria and Albert Museum |
or intimate
 |
Raja Bhup Singh with a Rani Under a Quilt
ca. 1800
Opaque watercolor on paper
from the Victoria and Albert Museum |
or epic,
 |
Umar Disguised as the Surgeon Mazmahil Arrives before the Castle of Antali
(from a Hamzanama)
ca. 1570
Opaque watercolor, ink and gold on cotton cloth
from the Smithsonian's Freer and Arthur M. Sackler Galleries |
appeared to be illuminated from within with so many
different shades of pink.
I’ve
always been drawn to these coral-y, melon-y, sunshine-y pinks.
 |
| Ambrosia (893) are barely pink but stand out in the evening sky when tinged with a bit of |
 |
Polka Dot Pink (004).
These three pink paints, and the others following, are all from Benjamin Moore as well. |
I wear a lot of pink: pale pink instead of
white, ballet pink instead of yellow and even hot pink instead of true red,
simply because pink is more flattering on me. But I tended to think of pink as a rather
“decorated”, almost superfluous color until I experienced Maharaja and Worlds
Within Worlds.
Now,
I look for pink everywhere, especially in hues I could add to my home. Have you ever noticed? Pink is the color of autumn flowers.
 |
| A bed of blooming Gaura looks like dozens of butterflies in... |
 |
| These fall roses are a kaleidoscope of pink. |
 |
| Abelia x 'Mardi Gras' sports |
 |
A pair of rambunctious Chrysanthemum x grandiflorum, 'Hillside Pink Sheffield, I think,
just finished up blooming after two months. Don't adjust your television set!
The variations in color are natural. |
 |
| The umbels of Sedum x 'Frosty Morn' |
 |
and 'Autumn Joy', pincushions of pink when in full glory,
have now aged to rosy tan and brown, respectively. |
Even
now, in this almost-winter, I can find pink in little doses of abundance.
 |
My blueberry shrubs are ablaze with leaves of ruby-pink.
Even the sprout of new growth shimmers a nearly-blue pink. |
 |
| wispy remains of Muhly Grass. |
 |
My Japanese Maple, which smoldered bright orange just a few weeks ago,
is a fringed parasol of faded corals. |
 |
| in the stems and veins of Hypericum androsaemum 'Albury Purple'. |
 |
| capture the velvety remnants of Echinacea purpurea |
 |
| and hint at the spring to come. |
 |
But the leaves of Azalea x 'Christie Lyn' may be my favorite.
Normally creamy butter and grass green, they are currently flushed pink,
as if wearing a little rouge for a Christmas party. |
Some
folks will tell you that pink is passé. Don’t
believe them! Pink feels safe and a
little off-beat; feminine and powerful. It
speaks of exotic places and charming garden walks. But most of all, pink is inherent to light and
living things. So it can never go out of
style.
 |
| Doesn't this Magnolia pod look like it's been dipped in the appropriately named |
If
you happened to miss Maharaja: The Splendors of India’s Great Kings and Worlds
Within Worlds: Imperial Painting from India and Iran, check out the permanent
Asian galleries at the Victoria and Albert Museum or Virginia Museum of Fine
Arts for a gorgeous selection of Indian paintings and textiles. The Smithsonian’s Freer and Sackler Galleries
house some of the finest examples of Mughal painting in the world. So visit often for rotating displays.
And
in the meantime, add a bit of pink to your life. It will make you happy.
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