Hinduism in Martinique
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[edit] Hinduism in Martinique
Hinduism represents 0.5% of Martinique Population
After the abolition of slavery in 1848, the plantation owners turned to importing Indians from the sub-continent, who brought with them their Hindu religion. (Many Hindu temples are still in use in Martinique and, in 1987, a personal description of their secret ceremonies was published by a Hindu participant).
The symbols, gestures and myths of Hinduism were an important inspiration to Gauguin which he mixed with the more ancient ceremonies of the Carribs and original Arawaks of the island, all alternatively wiped out by succeeding invaders.
Of special interest perhaps is the famous painting La Femme du Roi (Pushkin Museum, Moscow) of 1896 (Tahiti) and its origins in the Martinique Eve (Carlsberg Museum, Copenhagen) wooden bas-reliefs of 1877 to be seen in two designs, one where the figure of Eve plucks a golden fruit and the second where the figure reclines holding a fan. The design derives originally from Cranach's Diana Reclining and Manet's Olympia but the inspiration is Martinique and the symbolism is largely Hindu, the central figure being the Hindu goddess Mariamman. The theme of this work is said to be religion, sin, luxury, death, capital punishment and colonisation. The mysterious power of Gauguin is perfectly exampled in this imagery. It is no wonder that it speaks to us today, yet leaves many with an unquiet if enquiring reflection. In terms of art history it is one of the most powerful examples of Gauguin's ability to transmute his Martinique experiences of 1877 to Tahiti nearly twenty years later.
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