The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 17, 2024

Oblation

Oblation

1990
(Italian, b. 1952)
Italy, 20th century
oil and tempera on linen
Framed: 201.3 x 274.5 x 4.8 cm (79 1/4 x 108 1/16 x 1 7/8 in.); Unframed: 200.7 x 274.3 cm (79 x 108 in.)
Dorothea Wright Hamilton Fund 1993.164
© Francesco Clemente, Courtesy: Mary Boone Gallery, New York
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

Clemente created over 200 paintings for film director Alfonso Cuarón’s Great Expectations (1998).

Description

Hinduism is the predominant religion in India, where Francesco Clemente has spent considerable time over the past two decades. In Oblation, which means a religious offering, he combines the simplified forms and large scale of contemporary western painting with elements of Hindu culture. The figure in the complicated pose at the top of the painting is practicing yoga, the physical and mental discipline that leads to the union of body and soul. The animals below symbolize some of the creative spiritual forces in Indian mythology. The elephant suggests wisdom and longevity; the cow may signifiy motherhood and purity; the horse often represents military power; and Varuna, the Hindu god of water, rides a crocodile. The mystical combination suggests the sacred harmony that results when humans show respect for animals.
  • Cleveland Museum of Art, “Art Museum Acquires Two Exceptional Works,” December 20, 1993, Cleveland Museum of Art Archives. archive.org
    "1993 Annual Report." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 81, no. 6 (1994): 143-218. Reproduced: p. 162 www.jstor.org
    Cleveland Museum of Art, “Recent Acquisitions to the Cleveland Museum of Art Collection,” August 26, 1994, Cleveland Museum of Art Archives. archive.org
  • Francesco Clemente: A Retrospective. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY (organizer) (October 7, 1999-January 9, 2000); Museo Guggenheim Bilbao, 48001 Bilbao, Spain (February 14-June 4, 2000).
    Francesco Clemente Retrospective: Two Horizons. Sezon Museum of Art, Japan (organizer) (August 12-October 16, 1994).
    Tokyo, Japan, Sezon Museum of Art, August 12 - October 16, 1994: "Francesco Clemente Retrospective: Two Horizons," cat. no 69, pp. 138-139, repr. color.
  • {{cite web|title=Oblation|url=false|author=Francesco Clemente|year=1990|access-date=17 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1993.164