Indian Art

by Partha Mitter

This concise yet lively new survey guides the reader through 5,000 years of Indian art and architecture. A rich artistic tradition is fully explored through the Hindu, Buddhist, Islamic, Colonial, and contemporary periods, incorporating discussion of modern Bangladesh and Pakistan, tribal artists, and the decorative arts.

Combining a clear overview with fascinating detail, Mitter succeeds in bringing to life the true diversity of Indian culture. The influence of Islam on the Mughal court, which produced the world-famous Taj Mahal and exquisite miniature paintings, is closely examined. More recently, he discusses the nationalist and global concerns of contemporary art, including the rise of female artists, the stunning architecture of Charles Correa, and the vibrant art scene.

The very particular character of Indian art is set within its cultural and religious milieu, raising important issues about the profound differences between Western and Indian ideas of beauty and eroticism in art.

Genres: Art, History, India, Art History, Nonfiction, Humanities, Asia

298 pages, Paperback

First published July 19, 2001

Reviews

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book to give a comprehensive overview over the history of Indian art. In addition to the historical context, the author also offers some critical views on the art historical canon and on how artworks and styles often were interpreted from a Western perspective.
The only thing that bothered me a little bit in this book was how women artists are written about in separate chapters or sections. In many cases, where the subject of the artwork is about women, feminism etc, this makes sense. However, for example in the case of Meera Mukherjee, the author writes "she denied any feminist content in her work, considering herself to be a professional first and a woman second" (p. 227) - so why not include her in the general part of the text, rather than putting her in a subsection on women artists?

[Monica St. Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good resource for absolute beginners -- I wouldn't recommend reading it cover-to-cover like I did, but if you need a reference book on South Asian art you could certainly do worse. I read it along with Indian Art, and they worked well together.

[Theodore · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fair introduction to Indian Art. Goes until modern times, which oddly many introductory Indian Art books do not do. More and better images would have helped. The architecture in particular was hard to follow without better diagrams and images.

[Ashwani Gupta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent overview of the history of Indian art from antiquity to the present day. The book is extensively referenced in Wendy Doniger's An Alternate History of the Hindus, which is how I found it.

In one concise volume, the author provides a masterful overview that starts with the dancing girl of Mohanjodaro and ends in the art galleries of Mumbai. Along the way one encounters buddhist art, hindu art, Mughal art, colonial art, folk and tribal art,... Also noteworthy: the author uses a fairly inclusive definition of art and covers a broad array of topics from religious and secular architecture to cave paintings, miniatures, illuminated manuscripts and more.

Easy to read cover to cover, and great to have around as a reference for further exploration.

[Insiya Pardiwala · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is well researched and is a good summation of the art history in the Indian subcontinent.