Himalayan Art Resources

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Inverted Painting Experiment

When first looking at a painting such as this - a figure wearing red robes - the mind generally wants to identify the central figure first, possibly discern the relationship with the smaller side figures and then understand the over-all visual narrative, or iconographic program. Also included in this is the religious meaning and the intention for the creation of the work, based on the donor, and its corresponding function. An analysis of the painting based on all of the above criteria falls within the realm of the intellect, intellectual analysis of the subject. This is the approach most often taken by viewers of Himalayan art paintings such as this. However, what is missed is the aesthetic qualities of the painting, the composition, the colour balance and the symmetry. A useful technique to use for looking at painted compositions, that is not distracting to the eye and mind with intellectual analysis, is to invert the image.