Thursday, June 14, 2012

AN EROTIC POSTURE : TEMPLE TO ART GALLERY

'LORDOSIS' POSTURE : POSITION OF 'COW'

NOTE : This blog has strong erotic/adult content. Those who are below 21 years of age  or dislike discussion on erotic  displays in Hindu temples may please stay away from this blog.


 There are two persons behind this blog - and I know - this subject of erotic art is difficult and delicate to handle.

After  I saw a series of centuries old frescoes published in facebook by a 'friend' of mine,  living in the other side of the border and   working on anthropology , I went back to the photos of frescoes  we took at SriKurmam temple, SriKakulam.  There is at least one erotic fresco in this temple - a couple in 'lordosis' posture of coitus.This posture is special, requires 'submission' of the female partner and trust too.

Serious 'student' of Indian art knows that while Indian erotic sculpture depict the couple mostly in  impractical vertical posture, Indian  paintings manifest no such compulsion ! This  fresco is different , somewhat crude compared to ones telling us 'stories' of the divine . The postures of both the partners are 'impossible' but, that is often the case with Indian artists decorating Indian temples.

A couple engaged in coitus in an impossible angle. The man pulls wide-eyed woman,encircled by his legs, to a 'lordosis' posture.
Man's impatience and urgency in red, woman's coolness in white!

So, ZAK - here is the photo of the fresco you wanted to view !

Here, the centre-lines of the sitting couple are out-of-alignment -  in almost 60 degrees  to each other. This reminded me of a painting  I saw in Academy of Fine Arts,Calcutta last month. It  was an exhibition by 'RANGAN',  a group of young artists. One of the artistes, Hirack Chand, displayed 4 canvasses here , the last one of a couple engaged in 'lordosis' posture. The woman rests her head on a pillow, face placid  and the man, red in passion enters her at an angle out-of alignment with the stretched body of the woman.Hers is a posture of submission, his is a posture impatience. No  fondness or intimacy in either ! Very strong lines in the figures - view the naked man of Hirack Chand here -

'Face to Face' - a painting by Hirack Chand.
(Source - Brochure of 'RANGAN')

When my facebook 'friend' ZAK asked me publish that fresco of coitus, I thought of writing a full-length blog. I contacted HC for a photo of this particular canvas ,explained the context in my telecon and followed  up with an e-mail. HC  called me back, but, decided  not to allow me use a photo of his painting. Well  bad luck of the viewers !

The posture of 'lordosis'  - known as 'position of cow' in India - can be a very comfortable and intimate posture in coitus.  As I already mentioned ,Hirack Chand's painting brings out the submission, but, not the intimacy. Nor such intimacy or chemistry is evident in the coitus  framed on a chariot's body I found on my way to Hampi.

Wood engraving on a chariot.
On our way to Hampi.

From this photo, it is appears that the couple is in a ritualistic posture , in company  of  a person blowing trumpet and two attendants  carrying offerings  . Surprisingly, I found a  wall-relief in 'lordosis' posture mounted on the Gopuram's door of Virupaksha temple, Hampi - no companions around, man approaches woman who is cooking.

 Man approaches woman unprepared for the 'act' - she is cooking !
Crude wall-relief, Gopuram door, Virupaksha temple ( 2010).


How painters of yesteryear  in Europe and India  handled this subject - with tenderness ?  Well - the reader to make his own conclusion. I have gone through  sketches painted by Mihaly Zichy, a Hungary-born artist of late 19th- early 20th century. He has a large repertoire of  painting of coitus among which, two depict 'lordosis' posture . Those who enjoy  good paintings may please surf and find out photo of his painting titled 'The Victory of the Genius of Destruction', painted for a Paris Exhibition , but,was banned by French authorities because of its daring anti-militarist message.

 Couple engaged in 'lordosis' posture.Painting by Mihaly Zichy.
(Source -Internet)

I shall end with a photo of erotic painting from India . Its mood is just the opposite of that of Hirack Chand. HC has depicted the 'act' where man engages with woman, who is kind of away. Here, we have an intimacy and active engagement being displayed in an otherwise poorly executed  painting.

  Couple engaged in 'lordosis' posture.Indian painting .
(Source -Internet)

1 comment:

scott davidson said...

"There should be pictures of food in the dining room and landscape in the living room," says my daughter, who is just starting her interior design course at our local university. So I asked her to browse to wahooart.com on the computer.
There she can choose good canvas prints to be made from a vast choice of Western art and she picked this one of fish by Braque, http://en.wahooart.com/A55A04/w.nsf/OPRA/BRUE-8LJ278 for the dining room.