The Conservatory in the park

The exhibit that we went to see at the museum was Garden and Cosmos: the Royal Paintings of the Jodhpur. The show presented over 50 works of art that were produced for the royal courts of Rajastjan from the 17th to the 19th century. The fragile paintings, many of which are watercolor on paper, have been seen by only a few people before the tour was organized.

The paintings were exquisite- tiny worlds full of breath-taking detail, pattern and color. My favorite ones were the earliest and usually depicted human stories- events, parties and pastimes. Several showed a favorite activity of blowing colored water or puffing purple dust at each other. One painting looked like it was covered with purple finger smudges but each smudge was a puff in someones face. In several paintings, large purple sacks sat in the foreground- full of purple powder.

While the focal point was the activity of the people in the painting, the architecture, plant and animal life were a close second. The architecture of a palace would be displayed from several views at once- to show all of the best features. But, it was the plant life that took my breath away. Rows of flowering bedding plants in the foreground, usually with a pond or fountain full of fish and ducks. And in every corner and across the background- shrubs and trees with the most colorful, varied fruits and leaves. And all of this painted in such a small scale that the some brushstrokes would need to be done with a single hair or two.

So, it was only fitting to visit the Conservatory in the park as we left the museum. The Conservatory is free to the public- only a donation is requested and it is open every day of the year. It's a wonderful place to visit in the depths of a Seattle winter but it was especially exciting to visit after seeing the Indian paintings.

The same kind of variety of color, pattern and foliage was here in the greenhouse. We even thought that we recognized a couple of plants from the paintings.

And who could not imagine a snake or monkey in amongst these plants, lulled by the sound of trickling water.

But, our day at the park had come to an end. We returned to our neighborhood and settled in with a bottle of champagne on F's couch.