NINE ESSAYS ABOUT ORIENTAL AND CHRISTIAN ART, DISCUSSING MANY FACETS OF ART, INCLUDING AESTHETICS, SYMBOLISM, &C.
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ANANDA K. COOMARASWAMY was born in 1877, of Anglo-Ceylonese parents. After completing studies in Geology he soon became interested in the arts and crafts of his native Ceylon and India. In 1917 he relocated to the USA where he became Keeper of Indian and Islamic Art at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, establishing a large collection of Oriental artifacts and presenting lectures on their symbolic and metaphysical meaning. An encounter with the seminal writings of perennialist author René Guénon served to confirm and strengthen his view of the Perennial Philosophy. From this period onwards Dr. Coomaraswamy began to compose his mature--and undoubtedly most profound--works, adeptly expounding the philosophia perennis by drawing on his unparalleled knowledge of the arts, crafts, mythologies, cultures, folklores, symbolisms, and religions of the Orient and the Occident. In 1947 his plans to retire to India and take on sannyasa (renunciation of the world) were cut short by his sudden and untimely death. A representative collection of his extensive writings, entitled The Essential Ananda K. Coomaraswamy, was edited by his son Rama P. Coomaraswamy and published by World Wisdom.
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38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is worth more stars than five!,
This review is from: Christian and Oriental Philosophy of Art (Paperback)
Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy (1877-1947) was really somebody. I've owned and eventually given away at least half a dozen copies of this book over the years. I mean, I tend to force it on people. It changed my life. The writer I'd compare him to, perhaps weirdly, is Joseph Conrad - if the young Conrad had, instead of going to sea, run away to join a museum and become an art historian, curator, philosopher and intellectual bridge between worlds. Certainly both men have a similar way of making you pay attention to every single word, and - this is so rare - repaying that attention with insight, not only into what the author means by what he's saying, but what he's actually talking about ie. the subject under discussion. In a novelist this is a great thing, but in a historian of thought, art, mythology, metaphysics etc. it's almost miraculous. He spent his life explaining what we look at when we look at art - and why art matters, what it's for. Every sentence that he wrote was written to assist. And these good intentions are almost tangible. In 1975, I dropped out of architecture and wandered off to become a poet, to the despair of my family and the amusement of my friends. At first this mostly just involved smoking pot and waiting for something to happen. Then I found this book. Just the footnotes are a virtual study guide to the wisdom of the world. Plato and Shankara, Aquinas and Eckhart and Plotinus and the Upanishads etc. It was all new to me back then, this book my door. It was like my Yoda. It taught me how to read and think and start to know things for myself, and find the next book too, and the book after that. It also, and this was so important, helped me understand (in a way that didn't fall apart the first time someone called me on it) why art of any kind is not only worth doing, but doing well, the best you can. I love this book. If you're interested in art (in any form, not just pictures on a wall) you will be interested in what he has to say. You might not accept all of his argument, but in the process you'll have thought harder and more clearly about where you stand than you ever normally get the chance to. And you'll learn things you didn't know. Because in this little book, as in all his work, Coomaraswamy is trying to pass on a vast and ancient and fruitful tradition in the best way that he can. And I'm grateful to him for having tried so hard, and succeeded so well. I mean, it's just a bunch of essays, but hey - go for the paperback. It's cheap and well made (by Dover, a company that knows how to bind books) and you just might like it.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
How to understand a traditional work of art,
By lorenzo (Padua, Italy) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Christian and Oriental Philosophy of Art (Paperback)
Definitely one of the most accessible works by A.K. Coomaraswamy and a good introduction to his oeuvre, of which the present book is somehow the sinthesis. Themes such as the meaning of art in its universality, the relationship between beauty and truth, and utility of art are developped to their maximum extent. The strenght of the thesis of the author, the almost perfect rigour of his analisys, the impressive richness of documentation provided, are such as to strike one's knowledge on the matter to the point of being able to change reader's relationship to the present reality.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Christian and Oriental Philosophy of Art.,
By New Age of Barbarism "zosimos" (EVROPA.) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Christian and Oriental Philosophy of Art (Paperback)
_Christian & Oriental Philosophy of Art_ (1956, reprinted by Dover) by traditionalist author and philosopher Ananda K. Coomaraswamy is a fascinating series of essays and lectures which explain such issues as the role and importance of art as it relates to Christian and Oriental traditional culture. Ananda K. Coomaraswamy (1877 - 1947) was an Indian philosopher, orientalist, and art historian who served as curator of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Coomaraswamy was also active as one of the founders of the Traditionalist School (along with Rene Guenon) and in promoting the Perennial Philosophy that underlies the world's mystical religious traditions. In this book Coomaraswamy focuses on the role of art and art symbolism, the importance of folklore, and the role of museums.
This book contains the following chapters - Why Exhibit Works of Art? - Coomaraswamy comments on the nature of museums explaining the importance of exhibiting works of traditional art and contrasting such art with "modern art", relating it to such issues as utility, arts and handicrafts, Platonic philosophy, and the "reign of quantity". The Christian and Oriental, Or True, Philosophy of Art - Coomaraswamy considers the art forms of Christianity and the Orient, relating these to the mystical traditions of Christianity and Hinduism. Coomaraswamy explains the role of "primitive art", revelation, aesthetics, the Middle Ages, and relates these to Christian and Hindu theology and the nature of God. Is Art a Superstition, Or a Way of Life? - Coomaraswamy explains what he means by superstition as something that "stands over" from a previous time. He notes the importance of art and relates this to class system of modern society. He maintains that in his time, the artist is unfree to pursue leisure, and contrasts this to ancient society where art takes on a special purpose. He also comments on the role of factory production, noting how such products differ profoundly from traditional forms of art. He relates these notions to the theories of Marx, noting where the traditional conception differs from both capitalism and Marxian analysis. What Is the Use of Art Anyway? - Coomaraswamy explains what he sees as the use of art, contrasting different notions such as "art for art's sake" or utility and relating them to modern and ancient societies. Beauty and Truth - Coomaraswamy explains the role of beauty and truth in the theories of Augustine and Aquinas and relates this to modern architecture, Dante's Comedy, and the Rig Veda. The Nature of Medieval Art - Coomaraswamy explains the importance of medieval art, relating this to the Philosophia Perennis, and the "Universal and Unanimous Tradition". Traditional Conception of Ideal Portraiture - Coomaraswamy explains the role of "portraiture" relating this to Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, and Renaissance art. The Nature of "Folklore" and "Traditional Art" - Coomaraswamy explains the role of "folklore" and the notion of the "folk" by examining the ancient Hindu doctrines and Indian society. Coomaraswamy explains the importance of folklore and fairy tales for traditional art. He writes, "What has been preserved in folk and fairytales and in popular peasant art is, then, by no means a body of childish or entertaining fables, or of crude decorative art, but a series of what are really esoteric doctrines and symbols of anything but popular invention." Beauty of Mathematics: A Review - Coomaraswamy reviews the work of mathematician G. H. Hardy noting the role and importance of mathematics and relating the mathematician to the artist in his search for truth. He maintains that the importance of generality and depth (related to difficulty) for the mathematician is also found in art and painting. Both seek out truth. This book provides a fascinating series of lectures on traditional art forms in both the Christian and Oriental traditions. One can see the perennial philosophy reflected in these works of art in terms of symbolism, traditional culture, and arts and handicrafts versus "modern art". Coomaraswamy provides for a fascinating study.
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