EXHIBITION: NATURE NURTURE.

English poet George Gordon Byron, or simply Lord Byron, once wrote, 'There is pleasure in the pathless woods, there is rapture in the lonely shore, there is society where none intrudes, by the deep sea, and music in its roar; I love not Man the less, but Nature more.' And even Michelangelo is quoted to have said, 'My soul can find no staircase to heaven unless it be through earth's loveliness.'

Our literature and histories are peppered with quotes and statements by prominent people about the importance of and their love for nature - a love that can be considered as a part of humankind's core spirit. It's an obsession that cannot be undone.

Even science supports that spending time in nature contributes to a feeling of wellbeing. That is evidenced by the fact that, throughout history, starting from the earliest cave drawings, visual artists too have been obsessed with preserving a little piece of nature in their artwork.

VM Art Gallery recently presented precious artworks from their permanent collection - some a century old - to pay a homage to nature

VM Art Gallery recently hosted 'Scenic Route', an exhibition celebrating nature in all of its glory and containing paintings from its permanent collection. Essentially a group show, 'Scenic Route' contained artworks from around the globe.

This included work by artists such as Ghulam Rasul, Anna Molka Ahmed, Albert Sheldon Pennoyer, Ghulam Mustafa, Muriel Yvonne McRocquee Hausser, Maahdi Zaman Baloch, U. Moe Htat Kyaw, Mubarak Husain, Wahab Jaffer, Thomas G, Greene, C. W. Jefferys, R. M. Taylor, Lawrence Arthur Colley Panton, Ross Nelwig, Carlo Tay and Peti.

With such an incredible breadth of artists, what was immediately noticeable was the sheer diversity of interpretations and approaches to landscape painting through the years. You could see the evolution of...