Narrative artist Robert Riggs captures a highly-charged scene of an Indian firewalking ceremony. Firewalking is part of a religious ritual and is associated with the mystical powers of fakirs. Devotees run over a fire furnace during a religious procession in Gulbarga. This powerful work was most likely done for a major newsstand magazine assignment. Riggs in his day was one of the most well-known artists/illustrators in the US then came to the advent of photography for magazine illustrations and the second wave of the Golden Age of Illustration ended and so did the fame of Robert Riggs. Signed lower right Riggs - unframed. Painted with dry pigment, gum arabic, and mastic varnish on Renaissance Panel.
Gum arabic is used as a binder for water-based painting because it dissolves easily in water Pigment of any color is suspended within the acacia gum in varying amounts, resulting in water-based pain