200YEARS-010724 - Flipbook - Page 19
painter. Under the King9s patronage, Khrua In Khong was commissioned
to create murals at Wat Bowonniwet Vihara and Wa Phra Borom Niwat12,
the royal monasteries where King Mongkut practiced Dhamma during his
ordination. Khrua In Khong was assigned to paint mystical murals representing
the life of the Buddha and the Tribhumi. The murals used the principles of
perspective, light, and shadow to create depth. They depicted Westerners
and famous landmarks such as the United States Capitol, St. Paul9s Cathedral,
Hyde Park and Ascot Racecourse. The image of a giant lotus blooming in the
middle of a pond, observed by a large group of people, serves as a metaphor
for the Buddha. The Buddha is symbolized by the lotus, while the Dhamma
is likened to the fragrance of the lotus flower. The monks are represented as
bees and insects attracted to the pollen. This imagery conveys the Buddha9s
transcendence over defilements, like a lotus flower rising above the water.
Additionally, the giant water lily depicted in the mural refers to the Victoria
Amazonica, a South American species that garnered much excitement when it
bloomed in London. This flower came to symbolize the greatness of Britain under
Queen Victoria9s reign. The method of drawing the sky is another significant
aspect of Khrua In Khong9s work. He incorporated symbols of the Triple Gem
with the moon and the sun, representing light emerging from darkness. Angels
are depicted flying among the clouds, and various stars are illustrated according to Western astronomy. This includes representations of Rahu, lunar eclipses
and Ketu. The sun behind the Buddha image is depicted as the center of the
solar system, replacing Mount Phra Sumeru by the Tribhumi universe concept.
The murals in the ordination halls of Wat Bowonniwet and Wat Boromniwat
reflect a significant transitional period, merging traditional painting with
Western arts and sciences under the patronage of King Mongkut. He
provided the thematic framework for Khrua In Khong9s paintings, which required
a foundation in Buddhism for interpretation. While close advisors like
Patriarch Pallegoix could decode these images, ordinary Westerners, lacking
understanding, often viewed Khrua In Khong9s work as less developed compared
to Western-trained artists such as Juan Luna, Raden Saleh and Ravi Varma.
Khrua In Khong9s murals presented intricate riddles, mysteries and metaphors,
creating a fantastic and dreamlike atmosphere that predated the art of Scuola
Metafisica and European Surrealism by several decades.13
During the reign of King Mongkut, artists advanced the concepts established
by Khrua In Khong, as evidenced by the murals at Pathumwanaram Temple.
These murals depict a procession along the Irrigation Path, employing the
principles of open view and panoramic perspectives of the Chao Phraya River,
buildings, houses, and temples. Notably, an image of King Mongkut holding
binoculars while sitting on a boat symbolizes new perspectives on trade and
international relations. During the reign of King Chulalongkorn (1853-1910),
the nation-building process was vividly recorded in the murals, a testament
to the nation9s progress. The ordination throne hall at Wat Benchamabophit14
is a prime example, featuring murals that chronicle royal history, ethics, and
traditions. These murals, rich in detail, depict significant events such as the
ordination ceremony of Prince Chula Chom Klao, the total solar eclipse
observed at Prachuap Khiri Khan, the funeral ceremony of King Mongkut and
the royal celebration. They also capture the diplomatic interactions of the
time, with murals showing the Austrian ambassador presenting letters, King
Chulalongkorn9s travels to Singapore, Penang and India, and his visits to the
provinces of Saraburi, Phetchaburi and Chonburi. This collection of murals is a
powerful narrative of Siam9s independence, underscoring its resilience in the
face of Western colonial occupation.
In the rural areas further from the center, the Isaan folk artisan communities
beautifully preserved their local identity in the hooptam mural paintings. They
harmoniously blended the Buddha9s life story with the Ramakian epic to align
with local legends and literature. The Sangsinchai or Sangsinsi chronicles were
rendered on the temple mural paintings in Sim (Buddhist monastery) by the
renowned Isaan artists Nai Thong Tipcha and Nai Yuak.15 The Lanna artisan
lineages reflected the local lifestyles of the Thai Lue, Thai Nyo (Lao Nyo) and
Burmese ethnic groups, as evident in the mural paintings by Nan Buaphan at
Wat Phumin and Wat Nong Bua in Nan province. Highly distinctive in content,
they depict the Buddha9s life, the Kathadakagumara Jataka as well as portraits
of the rulers of Nan who played significant roles in the Lanna kingdom.16
During the intensified period of colonization in Indochina, significant efforts
were made to modernize Siam to a level comparable to Western nations.
King Chulalongkorn traveled to India to study the British Raj and visited
Singapore, Penang and Java. These travels aimed to observe and implement the
administrative, military, educational and cultural practices of neighboring
regions under imperial rule to foster prosperity and gain acceptance from
foreigners. Consequently, Westernization became a crucial aspect of Siamese
royal policy, including hiring Western consultants and importing many architects,
engineers, photographers, painters and sculptors from Europe.17
In an astonishingly short span of time, Bangkok underwent a rapid
transformation, emerging as a modernized city with Western-style buildings.
These included royal residences, government buildings, mansions and residential
structures in the commercial area around Charoen Krung Road. This area, once
a hub of traditional Siamese life, became a bustling center populated with
businessmen, merchants, tourists, drugstores, photography studios and stores
importing European goods. The portrayal of Siamese civilization was
meticulously staged, showcasing Bangkok9s prosperity on par with Calcutta,
17
