The Art of Tantra

World of Art

by Philip Rawson

Book by Philip Rawson

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Religion, Art History, India

216 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Philip Stanley Rawson was an English artist, teacher and author. A specialist on Eastern art, he wrote widely on the subject in books and for various publications. He also organized a number of exhibitions on Indian art in Britain. Rawson also served as a UNESCO expert on museology in India, worked as a tutor at the Royal College of Art, and was the Dean of the School of Art and Design at Goldsmiths' College, London, among others.

Reviews

[Rupinder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat of a hybrid of a coffee-table book and an introductory book on visual and sculptural art in Hindu Tantra. The author lays out the essentials of various practices of Tantra, their philosophical basis, and explains the underlying thinking behind the various paintings, sculptures and other visual tools of Tantra.
The good thing about the book is its concise nature and absence of much of baggage I have sometimes seen in Hindi Tantra Literature. However, the author brings his own anti-Science rants in writing at several places, which I found to be lacking any basis in reality. But may be it also reflects the attitudes of 70's, when this book was composed.
All in all, a light introduction to Tantra, a springboard for those interested in exploring this occult and hidden branch of Eastern philosophy.

[Khands · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent insight into the beliefs and rituals of Tantric practitioners. Fascinating images of paintings and ritual objects.

[Chris Rawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting book written by my late uncle.

[And.Tale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Increíble, una enorme recopilación de información, ademas hace una enorme historiografia sobre el trantra.

[Chandni Krishna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Art of Tantra by Philip Rawson has a good collection of paintings inspired by Tantra, featuring yantras and deities depicted in rare and unconventional forms. However, the concept of Tantra is often presented in a more sexualised manner even if it is deeply rooted to it. Despite this, the book may still appeal to readers interested in sacred art and esoteric traditions, provided it is read with discernment.

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

The boring book of an uninteresting bureaucrat doing some paper pushing and indexing.

[A. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Though the book itself has been updated with new illustrations, the very thin 1971 text remains unchanged. The author lingers over salacious details without offering context or corroboration, unable to see the complex religious traditions behind the (shockingly!) naked devi and her necklace of skulls. There are some good examples of tantric art from both Hindu and Buddhist traditions here, though many photographs are black & white and readers lose crucial information about the meaning of the art that color alone would provide. Use the images as a starting point, and research their meanings elsewhere.

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I would've given it 5 stars, but it focused much more on Hindu tantra, and also, it kept insisting that tantra was sexual. This might be the case in Hindu tantra (I don't know) but it isn't so for buddhism. The art is beautiful, and the book is well written.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adequate.

[Salvatore Familia]

In this comprehensive study of Tantric art, Philip Rawson invites us to join a meditative and visual exploration of the self and the universe. Originating in India in 600 AD and increasingly linked with recent trends of Western art, Tantra is a metaphysical fusion of eroticism, mathematics, and magic, a diffuse worldview in which the cult of ecstasy reigns. It is through the astonishing collection of illustrations in the book--sixteenth century engravings of the process of Creative Generation, reliefs of Hindu goddesses made for worship, a Tibetan magician's costume made of human bone--that Rawson makes accessible the mystical and fundamentally undefinable world of Tantra. 169 illus., 25 in color.
"A book to have for beauty and interest, which may well be a guide to an understanding of life." --Arts Review

[Mills College Library]

709.54 R262t 1978