As my friends embark on a tour to the city of pearls, my heart leaps back, to the city’s neat juxtaposition of Hi-tech city and Golconda fort, balanced by the tall statue of Buddha in the famous Hussain Sagar Lake. Apart from the sumptuous biriyani, splendid pearls and the alluring Film City, there was something more that I fancied about Hyderabad, even during my first visit to the city of charming minarets. Although I am wary of sounding narcissistic, it was the statue of ‘Veiled Rebecca’ at the Salar Jung Museum that drew an instant connect for me to the city. I was astounded to stand before Giovanni Maria Benzoni’s masterpiece and get absorbed in the intricate art of the translucent marble veil that conceals and exposes together, the serene smile of Rebecca. The meticulous craftsmanship makes one feel the marble veil against her skin. Benzoni has created four statues of Rebecca out of which the one in Salar Jung Museum draws her veil with her right hand. The remaining three statues , two of which are in the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield, Massachusetts depict Rebecca pulling the veil with her left hand.
Photograph from Flickr.com
The sculpture of the mesmerizing lady not only stands out for its amazing technical excellence but also for the image it depicts. The art piece portrays the Biblical character Rebecca or Rebekkah when she draws her veil before being presented to Issac, the man she was to marry. Infact this episode also marks the first mention of the veil and veiling the bride (badecken) in Genesis 24:6 in the holy Bible- "Rebecca took her veil and covered herself" upon her first meeting Isaac.
Interestingly, the Veil flows as a common strand that binds cultures across the world, with variations in its presentation, use and terminologies. A veil basically translates into a simple understanding of a cloth that covers the head –hair and/or the face. Cutting across regions, religions and cultures, women wear veils, for different reasons, the most popular being a sign of respect for their religion or men in their lives.
The transparency of marble veil synchronizes with the naivety and purity of the face of the lady-Rebecca who continues to mesmerize audiences from around the world even today, standing true to its meaning ‘to bind’ and ‘the captivating’!
Thanks for sharing such a lovely post. :) Placed in Salar Jung Museum, the statue of Veiled Rebecca by G.B. Benzoni is one of beautiful statue. Keep blogging. :)
ReplyDeletedo you know why there's a black mark on her right thigh
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