Learning to Look: Ganesha, Remover of Obstacles

Kimbell Kids

SPRING 2022 | FOR YOUNG ART LOVERS

LEARNING TO LOOK GANESHA, REMOVER OF OBSTACLES

L E A R NI NG TO L O OK GANESHA, REMOVER OF OBSTACLES

Hi, friends!

What do we learn from books and stories? What are your favorite stories?

At the Kimbell Art Museum, you will find artworks that represent important figures, legends, and ideas from around the world. The greatest stories in history include important details that help us to understand their meaning.

What would you include to tell your story?

In This Issue What Do You Notice?

Look closely to discover clues in this ancient sculpture.

Remover of Obstacles Why does Ganesha have an elephant head? Read that story and more!

Festival of Ganesha Chaturthi Learn about one of India’s biggest celebrations, honoring Ganesha.

Stories and Symbols Create a picture of Ganesha with symbols from his stories.

New Words Hinduism

Relief

A major world religion that began in India over 3,000 years ago, based on ancient texts and the worship of different gods Sculpture with threedimensional shapes set against a flat background, often found on buildings

Sculpture

Three-dimensional object made by carving, casting, or other shaping methods

Symbol

A thing that represents or stands for something else

Tusk

A long, pointed tooth

Worship

To show love and devotion to a being or object that is considered sacred

Meet Ganesha, the Hindu God of Beginnings and Good Fortune

What do you notice?

Ganesha makes a strong first impression! His elephant head is attached to a chubby, childlike body with four arms and a full belly. Hindu gods often have multiple arms to show their superhuman powers. What else shows his importance?

Imagine traveling back in time to see this relief panel on the outside wall of an ancient Hindu temple. Red clay was modeled so the rounded shapes of his head and body stand out.

Ganesha appears as if he is always listening.

Why do you think some parts are missing? This sculpture is very, very old! In his hands, Ganesha once held some of his favorite things—including a bowl of sweets! Other symbols come from stories about Ganesha. What details catch your eye?

Ganesha’s Elephant Head It is said that the goddess Parvati created Ganesha to keep her company. Later, his father, the god Shiva, gave him an elephant head to replace the one he mistakenly cut off! Hindus associate elephants with great strength and wisdom, which explains why Ganesha is called the “Remover of Obstacles.”

The Rat, the Serpent, and the Moon According to Hindu legend, Ganesha has a rat that he rides like a horse. One night, a serpent startled the rat, causing him to jump.

Ganesha fell to the ground, and his round belly burst open.

He scooped everything up and used the serpent as a belt to hold himself together. The moon, watching from the sky, laughed at the scene, making the god very angry. Ganesha pulled out one of his tusks and threw it at the moon!

A Beloved and Powerful God Ganesha has many names. He is the Lord of Beginnings and the Lord of Obstacles; he is also known as the Lord of the Harvest and the Lord of Learning and the Arts. Worshippers offer special gifts to honor Ganesha and ask for blessings of good luck, fortune, and health. People also ask for help when starting a new project or job. What help would you request from Ganesha?

Celebrating Ganesha Chaturthi Every year in India, for up to ten days, millions of people gather for a festival honoring Ganesha. At home, families offer presents of rice, fruit, and flowers to brightly painted sculptures of Ganesha. Communities create giant sculptures of the god, which are paraded through crowds and then taken to the sea, where they are given back to nature.

Stories and Symbols

Materials: Paper with coloring materials like markers or crayons

1. Make a list of the animals and objects that were important to Ganesha’s story.

2. Want to know more? There are many different stories about Ganesha. Ask a trusted adult to help you read more about the Hindu god in books or on the computer.

3. Plan ahead to imagine your picture. Where is Ganesha? Is he in the city, at a temple, or in the jungle? Is it day or night? What details in the setting help to tell his story?

4. Ready to draw? First, choose 3 or 4 different colors. Use those colors for different parts of your drawing so that it goes together!

5. Start with the body of a young child—remember the belly full of sweets! Add his

elephant head and four arms. Challenge: create a Ganesha that fills the entire page, just like the Kimbell’s sculpture.

6. Add interesting details and symbols to the scene. For example, what sweets do you think Ganesha would enjoy?

7. Complete your picture with a title using one of Ganesha’s names.

Coming Up for Kimbell Kids Kimbell Kids Drop-In Studios Selected Saturdays, 1–1:45 pm

Pictures and Pages / Fotos y Libros Selected Tuesdays, 11 am YouTube Youth education programs are supported by the Lowe Foundation Endowment for Kimbell Kids.

Special Exhibitions

The Language of Beauty in African Art Spring 2022 Murillo: From Heaven to Earth Fall 2022

Learning to Look

Learning to Look is a free, biannual publication designed for young art lovers. Each issue explores one object from the Kimbell’s permanent collection with engaging graphics, fun facts, and prompts to encourage close looking, personal connections, and creative expression.

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Four-Armed Ganesha, Indian, 5th–6th century A.D., terracotta relief. Kimbell Art Museum

Kimbell Art Museum 3333 Camp Bowie Boulevard, Fort Worth, Texas, 76107 817-332-8451 | kimbellart.org

3333 CAMP BOWIE BOULEVARD FORT WORTH, TEXAS 76107-2792

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