Midday Feast for the Village Deity in the Forest
| Support Type: | Paper |
| Paint Type: | Watercolor |
| Current Location: | The painting is currently housed in the private collection of his grandson,the artist known as Mumbiram in Pune,Maharashtra,India. |
| Location History: | The painting was created in Pune,Maharashtra,India in 1950 and is now in the private collection of his grandson,the artist known as Mumbiram in Pune,Maharashtra,India. |
“A Midday Feast in Honor of a Village Deity in the Forest” is a feeling of time standing still in a warm, almost fairytale-like scene. The action takes place among greenery: the forest becomes not just a background, but a “stage” where nature seems to be participating in the celebration. In the center is a feast associated with the veneration of the village deity: people gathered not by chance, but as participants in an ancient ritual, so in their poses and gestures one can feel the solemnity and slightly theatrical haste of the holiday. Color, as a rule, is perceived through the sunny midday dimension: the light falls on faces, clothes, greenery so that everything seems both earthly and a little mythological. The composition builds a circle or group around the “main thing” - the symbol of the presence of the deity - which is why the viewer seems to be inside the action. The main mood here is a mixture of joy, the tired beauty of summer and reverent anticipation. This is a picture of how people in the old days tried to “negotiate” with nature through music, food and general ritual.