Life Ananda Coomaraswamy

ananda kentish coomaraswamy born in colombo, ceylon, sri lanka, ceylonese tamil legislator , philosopher sir muthu coomaraswamy of ponnambalam-coomaraswamy family , english wife elizabeth beeby. father died when ananda 2 years old, , ananda spent of childhood , education abroad.

coomaraswamy moved england in 1879 , attended wycliffe college, preparatory school in stroud, gloucestershire, @ age of twelve. in 1900, graduated university college, london, degree in geology , botany. on 19 june 1902, coomaraswamy married ethel mary partridge, english photographer, traveled him ceylon. marriage lasted until 1913. coomaraswamy s field work between 1902 , 1906 earned him doctor of science study of ceylonese mineralogy, , prompted formation of geological survey of ceylon directed. while in ceylon, couple collaborated on mediaeval sinhalese art; coomaraswamy wrote text , ethel provided photographs. work in ceylon fueled coomaraswamy s anti-westernization sentiments. after divorce, partridge returned england, became famous weaver , later married writer philip mairet.

by 1906, coomaraswamy had made mission educate west indian art, , in london large collection of photographs, actively seeking out artists try influence. knew not rely on museum curators or other members of cultural establishment – in 1908 wrote main difficulty far seems have been indian art has been studied far archaeologists. not archaeologists, artists … best qualified judge of significance of works of art considered art. 1909, firmly acquainted jacob epstein , eric gill, city s 2 important modernists, , both of them had begun incorporate indian aesthetics work. curiously hybrid sculptures produced result can seen form roots of considered british modernism.

his second wife: alice coomaraswwamy (ratan devi) roshanara

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coomaraswamy met , married british woman alice ethel richardson , went india , stayed on houseboat in srinagar in kashmir. commaraswamy studied rajput painting whilst wife studied indian music abdul rahim of kapurthala. when returned england alice performed indian song under stage name ratan devi. had 2 children, son, narada, , daughter, rohini. alice successful , both went america when ratan devi did concert tour. whilst there coomaraswamy invited serve first keeper of indian art in boston museum of fine arts in 1917.

portrait of ananda coomaraswamy, published 1907

coomaraswamy divorced second wife after arrived in america. married american artist stella bloch, 29 years junior, in november 1922. through 1920s, coomaraswamy , wife part of bohemian art circles in new york city, coomaraswamy befriending alfred stieglitz , artists exhibited @ stieglitz s gallery. @ same time, studying sanskrit , pali religious literature western religious works. wrote catalogues museum of fine arts , published history of indian , indonesian art in 1927.

after couple divorced in 1930, remained friends. shortly thereafter, on 18 november 1930, coomaraswamy married argentine luisa runstein, 28 years younger, working society photographer under professional name xlata llamas. had son, coomaraswamy s third child, rama ponnambalam (1929-2006), became physician , convert @ age 22 roman catholic church. following vatican ii, rama became critic of reforms , author of catholic traditionalist works. ordained traditionalist roman catholic priest, despite fact married , had living wife.

in 1933 coomaraswamy s title @ museum of fine arts changed curator fellow research in indian, persian, , mohammedan art.

he served curator in museum of fine arts until death in needham, massachusetts, in 1947. during long career, instrumental in bringing eastern art west. in fact, while @ museum of fine arts, built first substantial collection of indian art in united states.

he helped collections of persian art @ freer gallery of art in washington, d.c., , museum of fine arts.

after coomaraswamy s death, widow, doña luisa runstein, acted guide , resource students of work.