Italian Embassy to launch 'One Mother, Many Mother Tongues' exhibition in Humayun's Tomb Museum
New Delhi, June 17
The Italian Embassy in Delhi is set to present 'One Mother, Many Mother Tongues', an extraordinary exhibition to be inaugurated at the Humayun's Tomb Museum in New Delhi.
Co-curated by Professor at JNU Naman Ahuja and Italian Embassy Cultural Centre Director Andrea Anastasio, One Mother, Many Mother Tongues is the result of the close collaboration between the Italian Embassy Cultural Centre and the Ministry of Culture of India, a statement by the Embassy said.
The exhibition revolves around the image of the mother and child--one of humanity's most enduring and powerful visual narratives, as per the Embassy.
Bringing together works spanning more than three thousand years, One Mother, Many Mother Tongues examines the extraordinary continuity of this iconography, from ancient fertility cults and protective maternal divinities to some of the highest expressions of religious and artistic thought.
Conceived as a natural extension of the themes explored in the ongoing exhibition Shared Stories, hosted in the same museum, One Mother, Many Mother Tongues expands and deepens a reflection on the cultural, artistic, and intellectual exchanges that have shaped the Indo-Mediterranean region across millennia, the statement said.
For the occasion, a painting by one of the finest master of the Italian Renaissance Art, Sandro Botticelli, will be exhibited in India for the first time ever. His Madonna and Child will be showcased along with a remarkable selection of Indian sculptures dating from the sixteenth century BCE to the eleventh century CE, as well as important Etruscan representations of Mater Matuta - the ancient goddess who protected mothers and children but also the rebirth of the day through the dawn, and whose cult contributed to shaping later conceptions of divine motherhood in the Roman world.
More than a dozen museums, institutions and foundations from both Italy and India have contributed to the realisation of this initiative, standing as a testament to the capacity of Italy and India to collaborate in the creation of projects of the highest academic quality, cultural relevance, and public impact, as per the statement.
From the Italian side, the exhibition has been realised thanks to the contribution of artworks coming from Museo Stibbert in Florence, Museo Etrusco in Rome, Museo Provinciale Campano di Capua.
One Mother, Many Mother Tongues is part of an increasingly close cultural partnership between Italy and India. On 20 May, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in Rome, further elevated the intensity of bilateral relations between the two countries to a Special Strategic Partnership.
"Culture is a pillar of our bilateral ties. Italy and India are heirs to ancient civilizations. Together we sum up more than one hundred UNESCO heritage sites. And there is much we want to do together. Among the most significant projects, we will organize an Italy-India Year of Culture and Tourism in 2027. It will feature a rich calendar of events, exhibitions and initiatives, ranging from cinema to restoration, from design to performing arts, photography and much more. Today, we are offering a small preview of what is to come," said Italy's Ambassador to India, Antonio Bartoli.
"By placing extraordinary works in conversation, One Mother, Many Mother Tongues reveals how different civilizations have expressed a shared human experience through distinct artistic languages, demonstrating that cultural diversity and cultural interconnectedness are not opposing forces but complementary dimensions of our common heritage," commented Director Anastasio.
Along with Botticelli's Madonna and Child, the Skarah Dheri (Peshawar District) forms the focus of one part of the exhibition. Being one of the few dated sculptures from Gandhara, it is critical for art history. Another Kushan-period Hariti is paired with one from Andhra Pradesh - showing how widespread this cult was by the second century AD.
From the forgotten and now dismembered ancient temples at Thaneshwar near Udaipur, comes a masterpiece of the sixth century. It is a rare opportunity to see, within a single exhibition, precious examples of classical Indian art drawn from museums across India, including some that are less frequently visited.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Honestly, this is a wonderful initiative but I wish more people in India knew about these exhibitions. Even in Delhi, many don't visit museums. The government should promote these cultural exchanges better - there's so much we can learn from each other's civilizations. The mention of Thaneshwar temple sculptures is particularly interesting for history buffs like me.
Italy and India - two ancient civilizations with such rich art traditions! The 'One Mother, Many Mother Tongues' theme is beautifully done. With 100+ UNESCO sites between us, the 2027 Year of Culture and Tourism sounds amazing. I hope they also include some contemporary art and maybe a student exchange program for artists. Yaar, culture diplomacy is the best kind of diplomacy! 😊
As a JNU alumnus, good to see Prof. Ahuja involved in this. The exhibition's focus on maternal goddesses across cultures - from Mater Matuta to our own Hariti - is thought-provoking. It shows how ancient societies valued motherhood universally. However, I wish the embassy would also highlight some of India's tribal art forms alongside this. Still, a commendable effort overall.
My kids are super excited about the Botticelli! We've been reading about Renaissance art at home. This is a fantastic chance for Indian students to see masterpieces they usually only read about in textbooks. I just hope the museum keeps the entry fee reasonable so everyone can enjoy it. Art should be accessible to all, na?
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.