Ambika Soni inaugurates Italian painters' exhibition

New Delhi, June 12 (UNI) Tourism and Culture Minister Ambika Soni inaugurated ''Dreams in Italy'' -- an exhibition of paintings by the mother-daughter duo of Elizabeth Sass Brunner and Elizabeth Brunner -- here today.

The exhibition aims at showing a comprehensive picture of the art of the Brunners' in Italy covering their stay there both geographically and artistically.

Imbued with a unique spiritual vision, Elizabeth Sass Brunner (1889-1950) and her daughter Elizabeth Brunner (1910-2001) were artists of extraordinary talent.

From the total IGNCA (Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts) collection of 852 paintings, 72 were put on the canvas by the mother-daughter duo while on their way to India.

''These 72 paintings form the bedrock of the exhibition,'' a Culture Ministry official said. ''The paintings done by the two artists in Italy compete with some of their important works done in Hungary just before they left for the journey, and also some beautiful pieces done shortly after their arrival to India.'' These specifically trace their route from Hungary to Italy (Fiume, Bologna, Rome Naples, Sorrento, Capri and Sicily), to Libya (Tripoli) and finally India.

Their attitude towards Italy was unusual, as their entire art was unique. The favorite tourist sites did not attract them. They were seeking for something more. The beautiful landscape, the ancient monuments conveyed them a spiritual message. They captured the message of the Roman ruins, the catacombs of the first Christian communities, and the mighty forces of nature present in the rocks, the volcanoes and the waves of the sea.

A visitor to the exhibition will receive a full picture of their art in that period, and can also witness their artistic development from Hungary, through Italy to India.

The horror of the First World War and the complete disintegration of the country did not dampen the artistic pursuits of the Brunner family. They depicted the landscape around the Balaton lake, the many forms of water sky and the garden, and indulged in reflection through portraits.

UNI