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Friday, Jun 08, 2007
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A journey on canvas, from Italy to India

DREAMS AND MORE: One of the paintings to be shown in the exhibition.

They came to India like many others before them in search of spirituality. While this may sound like the clichéd beginning to a rather predictable story, Elizabeth Sass Brunner and Elizabeth Brunner chose to live a different way. Artists both, this mother-and-daughter duo used their canvases over the years to document ordinary India and some extraordinary Indians.

Giving Indians a little glimpse into their lives before they reached "desi" shores, the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts in New Delhi, the Italian Embassy Cultural Institute and the Hungarian Information and Cultural Centre have brought together an exhibition titled "Dreams in Italy".

Having spent an important chunk of their lives in sunny Italy on their way to India, both the Elizabeths got a chance to transform their new experiences to canvas. During May to December 1929 they got to see different places like Venice, Bologna, Florence, Rome, Naples, Sorrento, Capri and finally down to Sicily.

Bringing alive the country in vivid colours, Elizabeth Sass Brunner developed a new artistic style, while her daughter finally found her feet, so to say, in the art world.

"Dreams in Italy" has 74 paintings from this period. While their "desi" paintings may be famous enough, this is a period of the Brunners that has really not been seen before.

Union Tourism and Culture Minister Ambika Soni will inaugurate the exhibition this coming Tuesday at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. -- Mandira Nayar

-- Mandira Nayar

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