PEM in an Hour
18. The Mahabharata
Here, the Chester and Davida Herwitz Gallery tells the story of nation-building and self-discovery through works by India's most celebrated artists of the 20th century. These works bridge myth with social and political history. There are big, bold paintings and sculptures to discover here. Find the long, horizontal work at the top of the right hand wall. This work is by India’s best-known modern artist M.F. Husain. His Mahabharata series retells one of India’s oldest and most beloved epics. It is the source of stories and teachings that have been part of life in India for two thousand years. Husain painted this 16-foot canvas in New York in 1990. It’s possible his passion for the epic had been reawakened because at that exact time, a TV series back in India about the Mahabharata became such a hit that streets emptied when the show aired. Reading left to right, the epic unfurls with all of its tales of competition and jealousy that divide members of a family, forcing them to choose sides. You can feel the tension and energy in the way he's rendered the scene; the peoples’ anonymous faces allow us to project our own lived experiences into this classic tale.
Now please exit this gallery, heading through the Fadia Deshpande gallery of historical Indian art and cross the bridge. Take a left to find the elevator near the garden entrance. And take it to Floor 3 to our Fashion and Design gallery.