200YEARS-010724 - Flipbook - Page 24
200 YEARS
JOURNEY
THROUGH
THAI
MODERN ART
HISTORY
(headdress)=. The pink exterior walls match King Chulalongkorn9s birthday and
feature a mosaic royal portrait by Salviati, the Venetian artisan. Wat Niwet
Thammaprawat9s Gothic-inspired architecture imitates Christian churches
despite its Buddhist functions. It features a Western-style altar and arched
doorways inside the ordination hall, which features stained glass and King
Chulalongkorn9s portrait from Paris. Amporn Sathan Throne Hall9s Art Nouveau
design incorporates Greek mythological murals interwoven with the story of
Phran Boon and the Kinnaree sisters. Some chambers are decorated with
Arabic patterns and corridors are adorned with garlands and pictures of
Siamese cherubs. The domed ceilings of Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall employ
trompe l9oeil skyscapes amid exuberant Art Nouveau and Siamese patterns.
riding a one-wheeled chariot drawn by seven airborne horses. The mural also
portrays the Hindu gods Indra, Vayu, Agni, and Yama seated along an open
pavilion overlooking the heavens.31 Manfredi and Rigoli were commissioned
to expand and color these sketches, aiming for Western-style realism while
incorporating elements and narratives from Siamese literature. The murals
depicting the Vessantara Jataka on the walls of the ubosot at Wat Raja are
seminal works by Prince Naris. They exhibit unconventional composition,
depicting the Buddha with anatomical musculature and use perspective
technique. Rigoli was tasked with expanding and painting these sketches.
Reviving traditional art forms, spearheaded by Prince Naris and his team of
Italian artists, initiated a Pre-Ppostmodern movement even before its emergence
in Europe. This parallel can be drawn from the ideas of Italian Postmodern artists
In terms of attire and fashion, the combination of European and Siamese like Carlo Mariani (1935-2018), Sandro Chia (1946) and Francesco Clemente
elements appeared unusual and exotic. For instance, the King Mongkut wore (1952), who sought inspiration from classical Greek-Roman art.32
a plaid hat, a jacket and a loincloth. The Queen sometimes wore a loincloth
paired with a lacy dress adorned with royal decorations. During his royal tours In the realm of sculpture, artists such as Vittorio Novi (1868-1970), Rodolfo Nolli
abroad, King Chulalongkorn donned a top hat and an international-style attire (1888-1963) and Alfonso Tonarelli were commissioned to create statues depicting
that epitomized proper etiquette. At times, he wore a Rajapataen jacket, a the Buddha, the Hindu deity Narayana with a gun, Narayana reclining on the
loincloth, stockings, and footwear influenced by the Raj Pattern from British serpent Ananta and muscular renditions of the mythical Garuda and Naga
India. This hybrid style of dress evolved into a royal fashion that became popular serpents. These works aimed to imbue the venerated figures of Siam with a more
humanistic quality, akin to Greek and Roman deities exhibiting a postmodern
among the upper class of Siam.29
tendency towards hybridization and reimagining, thus generating new meanings
The hybridity characteristic of postmodernism appeared earlier in the painting and symbols. In 1901, when King Vajiravudh (1881-1925) ascended the throne,
and sculpture during the reign of King Chulalongkorn. Prince Narisara Nuvadtivongs the grand European-style architecture of the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall
(Prince Naris), who held the position of Minister of Public Works, played a crucial was still under construction, drawing criticism for its excessive expenditure and
role in preserving and reviving Siamese craftsmanship. He also oversaw the perceived imitation of Western civilizations. King Vajiravudh spent nine formative
foreign team hired to design and decorate significant sites in Siam. He was years studying in England during the Victorian era, groomed as a
