Khalil Gibran

A Painterly writer

Dr.K.Mohammed Ali Askar

Assistant Professor, Department of Arabic University College,Thiruvananthapuram-34, Kerala

[email protected]

Academic staff college, University of Culcutta

Lebanese Poet and Philosopher Author of

The Prophet

A man of the East who brought a much needed element of spirituality to the West.

Academic staff college, University of Culcutta

Khalil Gibran was a versatile man: poet, artist, philosopher, peacemaker, visionary, revolutionary, madman, brother, friend etc.

I used the term ‘Painterly Writer’ deliberately.

Because this term describes him better than any other term.

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Born on January 6, 1883, to the Maronite family of Gibran in Bsherri, a mountainous area in Northern Lebanon His father was an agent of a local warlord. His mother was from a family of priests.

When he was twelve, his mother left his father and immigrated with her children to America The family settled in the slums of Boston.

Bostonian society welcomed this foreign talent into their artistic circles.

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Gibran lived much of his life in Boston and New York City.

But always longed to return to his native Lebanon.

Died on April 10, 1931 in New York His body was returned to his beloved homeland, Lebanon Academic staff college, University of Culcutta

THE NATURE OF GIBRAN’S WRITINGS He was a great spiritual thinker and is well known for his profound philosophical writings.

His masterpiece '' The prophet' represents the pinnacle of his glorious thoughts; It has been rendered in to most of the languages of the world Used themes of

exile, oppression, poverty, separation from beauty and love

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Love

“Love one another but make not a bond of love: let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls” “When love beckons to you, follow him, though his ways are hard and steep” “Love possesses not nor will it be possessed, for love is sufficient unto love “ “Ever has it been known that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation” Academic staff college, University of Culcutta

Knowledge

“Knowledge of the self is the mother of all knowledge” “No man can reveal to you nothing but that which already lies half asleep in the dawning of your knowledge”

Children

“You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth” “Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. They came through you but not from you and though they are with you yet they belong not to you” Academic staff college, University of Culcutta

Religion

“I love you when you bow in your mosque, kneel in your temple, pray in your church. For you and I are sons of one religion, and it is the spirit” "There is neither religion nor science beyond beauty." "Religion? What is it? I know of only life. The church is within you. I lay down no rules of conduct. Do whatsoever you will, so long as you do it beautifully." Academic staff college, University of Culcutta

“Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in a mirror” “Coming generations will learn equality from poverty, and love from woes” “Friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity” “Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need “ “If your heart is a volcano, how shall you expect flowers to bloom?” Academic staff college, University of Culcutta

ART OF GIBRAN

Gibran was primarily a painter .

Painting was not a secondary interest or a hobby supplementing his literary career Gibran held his first art exhibition of his drawings in 1904 in Boston.

Went to study art with August Rodin in Paris for two years Gibran’s artistic focus changes significantly when it comes to painting and watercolours Gibran obtains the subjects of his oil and watercolour paintings from his overall vision

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rather than his own vision, from his perceptions of the world and man instead of his own life experiences Academic staff college, University of Culcutta

He paints all bodies completely naked, a symbolic nudity

“Nude body is the noblest symbol of life”

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Gibran’s works do not include furniture or other accessories of the man-made world, but all unfold in a neutral space lacking materiality or worldliness, appearing to the viewer as a gradual colour backdrop dominated by quiet darkness Even the naked figures in the paintings possess a transcendent quality.

some of them are of a “perplexing” gender, exhibiting no distinguishing qualities–even the long hair could belong to both man and woman.

Man appears without sexual identity; Gibran documents mankind’s state pre and post-sex, before and after humans are limited by form!

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Paintings by Khalil Gibran

Academic staff college, University of Culcutta Khalil Gibran a Painterly writer

Paintings by Khalil Gibran

Academic staff college, University of Culcutta Khalil Gibran a Painterly writer

Paintings by Khalil Gibran

Academic staff college, University of Culcutta Khalil Gibran a Painterly writer

Conclusion

Gibran was primarily a painter.

He established a complementary relationship between his literary vision and artistic representations.

He was a writer with optical perceptions. We may characterize him as a ‘painterly writer’.

Academic staff college, University of Culcutta Khalil Gibran a Painterly writer

…there is so much to share of this amazing builder for a better world, Khalil Gibran

… Academic staff college, University of Culcutta Khalil Gibran a Painterly writer

“The song that I came to sing remains unsung to this day…” Rabindranatha Tagore

thank you

Khalil Gibran a Painterly writer Academic staff college, University of Culcutta