Wit and Wisdom: The Making of the Edwin Binney 3rd Collection

This wide-ranging display of 16 paintings from the Edwin Binney 3rd Collection turns the spotlight on Binney himself as a collector, who in 1986 bequeathed to SDMA his collection of 1,453 South Asian paintings—one of the most balanced and encyclopedic collections of South Asian paintings in the world.

The works on view are arranged in order of purchase, beginning with the first Indian painting he purchased on April 1, 1958, and ending with the last one he acquired only months before his death in August of 1986. The majority of the paintings have never been shown in San Diego, and half have never been shown at all.

Excerpts from Binney's unpublished notes are included in the explanatory wall texts, providing a personal dimension to the viewing of the paintings. They also reveal his colorful personality and the care with which he wisely chose representative examples from every court, region, style, and time period in India and neighboring regions.

A long-time trustee of SDMA, Binney believed that his collection belonged to the public to enjoy and learn from. He appreciated the historical setting of the Museum in Balboa Park, where hundreds of thousands of visitors come every year, many of whom may never have encountered the images and ideas that can be seen in the paintings from India. In this way, he hoped that visitors could "find their bliss" in these paintings, just as he did.

Back to Top