Master of Traditions

For those familiar with Fischer’s work,the honour did not come as a surprise. For more than four decades,Fischer’s association with India has spanned several aspects of its culture,from textiles to miniature art,murals to religion. “The award came as a big surprise,I was happy,” says Fischer. He celebrated in a unique way — a day after receiving the award,he visited the Swiss Embassy to donate his entire collection of over 40 books and research papers to Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi. “Some of these are out of print and difficult to find,” says the former director of Museum Rietberg,Zurich,adding that,“since most of it is based in India,it seemed appropriate for it to stay at one place in the country”.

In the pages,one discovers India — old and new. This includes Fischer’s publication on the patola textile of Gujarat,which took more than 30 years to complete. His first project in the country was in 1965,when he was invited by National Institute of Design,Ahmedabad,to work with artist Haku Shah on the publication Rural Craftsmen and their work: equipment and techniques in the Mer village of Ratadi in Saurashtra,India. In Orissa,Fischer,70,spent several years with author and artist Dinanath Pathy,understanding its murals,Odissi dance and the palm leaf manuscript tradition. “Unfortunately in Orissa,scholars are more interested in Puri. The former court tradition of the peripheries is completely neglected,” says Fischer.

The area that Fischer is an authority on is Indian miniature painting. Long before it came into the notice of private galleries,Fischer was working on the tradition,giving recognition to individual artists who are otherwise grouped together according to their imperial or regional schools. Last year,at Museum Rietberg,his exhibition titled “The Way of the Master — The Great Artists of India,1100-1900”,co-curated with Chandigarh-based art historian,BN Goswamy and art historian Milo Beach,brought together 240 miniature masterpieces by more than 40 Indian artists.

“These aren’t mere works of art. With inscriptions at the back,the paintings often describe a scene or an event,giving a lot of additional information,” says Fischer. The one artist he shares a special relationship with is Nainsukh,who served Raja Balwant Dev Singh in Jasrota in the 1740s. “He was in a different league. He incorporated a Mughal element of realism into early Pahari style of miniatures,” says Fischer,who even made a film on the Pahari artist. Directed by Amit Dutta,Nainsukh,the Great Pahari Painter of the 18th Century premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2010 and has been screened at museums across the world. Later this year,Fischer intends to delve into the science of Nainsukh’s art. Lined up before that is a textile project in Ahmedabad in autumn and an archeology awareness programme in Bhutan.