Desire and Devotion: Art from India, Nepal, and Tibet : In the John and Berthe Ford Collection (Hardcover)

by Pratapaditya Pal (Author), Hiram W., Jr. Woodward (Author), M.D.) Walters Art Museum (Baltimore (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
This breathtaking catalog of Indian and Himalayan art from the John and Berthe Ford collection accompanies an exhibition originating at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore and touring the United States through May 2003. Exhibited is a portion of the private collection containing important southern Asian art objects spanning 2000 years. John Ford began collecting in 1963 on his travels to India and Nepal and continued with advice from his wife, Berthe. Pal (visiting curator of Indian and Himalayan art at the Art Institute of Chicago), who wrote the collection's first catalog in 1971, offers an introductory essay, descriptions, and interpretations of the cataloged items. Straightforward essays clarify the context in which the works of art were created. The catalog, which includes never-before-exhibited objects, is well indexed and beautifully illustrated and contains an extensive bibliography, a map, and English translations of all inscriptions. Other well-illustrated, reasonably priced overviews of religious art in South Asia include Heather Elgood's Hinduism and the Religious Arts, Robert E. Fischer's Buddhist Art and Architecture, and T. Richard Blurton's Hindu Art. Pal's widely ranging work is recommended for larger arts collections in museum, academic, or public libraries.DNancy J. Mactague, Aurora Univ. Lib., IL
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 348 pages
• Publisher: Philip Wilson Publishers (December 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0856675377
• ISBN-13: 978-0856675379
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 9.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,901,095 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Simple, Untainted Introduction to the Magnificent Art of India, Nepal, and Tibet, December 23, 2005

By	Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The spiritual essence of the art of Tibet and Nepal is particularly difficult to translate into book form, but in this stunning catalogue of the John and Berthe Ford Collection, created to accompany a traveling exhibition of the collection, the writers and designers come as close as possible.

Not only are many of the works in this book seen for the first time, the explanations of their importance and the various levels of meaning attached to them are explained with such straight forward clarity that reading the text matches viewing the art. The subtle illuminating light from within the paintings defies description and that aspect of the paintings is left to the viewer's spirit. But the variation in this collection is astonishingly fine, presenting both sculptural and three-dimensional works with the scrolls and paintings.

This is a book for meditation and with the wise guidance of Pratapaditya Pal, even the most uninformed novice to this art will be revealing. A beautiful volume about beautiful art. Grady Harp, December 05