Art & History in Mauritius

Mauritius is a land of heritage and culture. The Art & History in Mauritius is so rich that this has been the reason for art lovers and history enthusiasts to go to that place from all over the world. Like the large of tourists flocking to Mauritius every year, quite a number of experts in art and history go there to quench their aesthetic thirst in the true sense of the word. That the place has got a diverse gait can only be explained by peering into it's rich history. The history of the exotic island goes back to the 10th Century AD a time since when the Dutch and the Portuguese sailors came to know about the place. Colonized by the Dutch in 1638 the forsaken island was suddenly full of sailors and merchants from all over the

world bringing with them their culture, tradition and heritage along with vessels full of merchandise to barter with the aborigines there.

The island was soon named Mauritius after the name of Prince Maurice of Nassau from Netherlands who left the place in the year 1710. A great surge of art and culture swept over this inconspicuous place after it was colonized by the French in 1715. The island of Mauritius suffered a set back during the time of the Napoleonic wars and soon taken over by the Imperial British Army 1810, confirmed subsequently by the Treaty of Paris.

Touched by the two most cultured hubs of that time, that is, France and England the people of Mauritius, who were no more than slaves and plantation owners, were enriched by the cultural influence of these past masters in art and aesthetics. Today the Creole people in Mauritius are exhibiting traditionally enriched forms of art and culture in their painting, sculpture and pottery.

The common mats and rugs that are available in the local markets all over the exotic palm fringed beaches in this island are really handwoven masterpieces. These are the fascinating consequences of the inter dependence of Art and History of Mauritius.

That Art & History in Mauritius are interlinked creating a diverse mosaic of all possible cultures that have been touched and retouched by different colors of the colonial waves the place has witnessed. The aesethic diversity seen in every bit of souvenir collected tells that the History & Art of Mauritius has been molding and remolding the artistic potency that we see in this place. The artisans in the island are direct descents from the dense cultural crossroads at that time when the Art & History in Mauritius was getting the real touch to emerge as the most natural manifestation of divinity.

The age old intermingling of Mauritius art and history has resulted in a large number of artists who are into creating colorful master pieces in landscapes. The vivid landscapes created with rich colors by these artists is a boon for the art lovers flocking to the place to get the taste of divinity in paintings.

The land with it's majestic mountains, vast blue seas and the exotic lagoons within the coral reefs speaks of it's rampant yet culturally enriching history. The history has made it possible for this fascinating diverisity of the land to come into being amidst the great works of art and sculpture the place holds for all of us to see. This is the magic that has taken it's form through all these years of walking together of Art & History in Mauritius.