John La Farge (New York, 1835 - 1910, Providence)
Siva Dance at Night, 1890
Watercolor and ink on rag board , 30.5 x 45.1 cm (12 x 17 3/4 in.)
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This horizontal watercolor and ink painting shows a troupe of five male dancers in a tropical setting. The dancers sit cross-legged on the sand against a backdrop of palm trees. They are wearing multicolored printed fabric tied around their waists, garlands around their necks, and flowers in their hair. In unison, they lean slightly to our left with their arms stretched out to the viewer’s right, with their hands touching the sand. Various other figures can be seen behind them. A dark teal pillar adorned with pink and white flowers stands in the foreground to the viewer’s right. Across the top of the painting is a letter handwritten in pencil, and on the bottom are inscribed the names of the five dancers: SamuElu, Aolele, Tulagono, Aotoa, Apslu.
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Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.