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Domains of Wonder: Selected Masterworks of Indian Painting
Domains of Wonder presents a cross-section of the San Diego Museum of Art's Edwin Binney 3rd Collection of Indian painting , featuring significant pieces never before published. Paintings and manuscripts dating from approximately 1300 to 1900 are reproduced with full-page, full-color illustrations, each with a catalogue entry that brings to life the content and context of the picture. The lucid three-part introduction discusses aspects of the unique culture in which patrons and painters worked together to create some of the finest paintings ever to emerge from India.
Major artistic movements are discussed, as are rare and little-known passages in the history of Indian painting, amply supplemented with translations of inscriptions and excerpts from primary sources. This book serves as an accessible introduction for non-specialists as well as a useful reference for scholars and students.
Major artistic movements are discussed, as are rare and little-known passages in the history of Indian painting, amply supplemented with translations of inscriptions and excerpts from primary sources. This book serves as an accessible introduction for non-specialists as well as a useful reference for scholars and students.
- GenresArt
303 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2005
68 people want to read
About the author
B.N. Goswamy
41 books37 followersB.N.Goswamy, distinguished art historian, is Professor Emeritus of Art History at the Panjab University, Chandigarh. A leading authority on Indian art, his work covers a wide range and is regarded, especially in the area of Pahari painting, as having influenced much thinking. He is the recipient of many honours, including the Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship, the Rietberg Award from Switzerland for Outstanding Research in Art History, the Padma Shri (1998) and the Padma Bhushan (2008) from the President of India.
Prof. Goswamy has written extensively. Among his publications are: Pahari Painting: The Family as the Basis of Style (Marg, Bombay, 1968); Painters at the Sikh Court (Wiesbaden, 1975); Essence of Indian Art (San Francisco, 1986); Wonders of a Golden Age (with E. Fischer, Zurich, 1987); Pahari Masters: Court Painters of Northern India (with E. Fischer; Zurich, 1992); Indian Costumes in the Collection of the Calico Museum of Textiles (Ahmedabad, 1993); Nainsukh of Guler: A great Indian Painter from a small Hill State (Zurich, 1997); Painted Visions: The Goenka Collection of Indian Painting (New Delhi, 1999); Piety and Splendour: Sikh Heritage in Art (New Delhi, 2000), Indian Costumes II: Patkas in the collection of the Calico Museum of Textiles (Ahmedabad, 2002); Domains of Wonder (with Caron Smith; San Diego, 2005), and I See No Stranger: Early Sikh Art and Devotion (with Caron Smith; New York, 2006).
As a guest curator, Professor Goswamy has been responsible for major exhibitions of Indian art in Paris, San Francisco, Zurich, San Diego, and Frankfurt. As Visiting Professor, he has taught at some of the most prestigious Universities, including the Universities of Heidelberg, Pennsylvania, California (at Berkeley and Los Angeles), Zurich, and Texas (at Austin), and lectured extensively at museums and universities in Europe, the U.S., and India.
Prof. Goswamy has written extensively. Among his publications are: Pahari Painting: The Family as the Basis of Style (Marg, Bombay, 1968); Painters at the Sikh Court (Wiesbaden, 1975); Essence of Indian Art (San Francisco, 1986); Wonders of a Golden Age (with E. Fischer, Zurich, 1987); Pahari Masters: Court Painters of Northern India (with E. Fischer; Zurich, 1992); Indian Costumes in the Collection of the Calico Museum of Textiles (Ahmedabad, 1993); Nainsukh of Guler: A great Indian Painter from a small Hill State (Zurich, 1997); Painted Visions: The Goenka Collection of Indian Painting (New Delhi, 1999); Piety and Splendour: Sikh Heritage in Art (New Delhi, 2000), Indian Costumes II: Patkas in the collection of the Calico Museum of Textiles (Ahmedabad, 2002); Domains of Wonder (with Caron Smith; San Diego, 2005), and I See No Stranger: Early Sikh Art and Devotion (with Caron Smith; New York, 2006).
As a guest curator, Professor Goswamy has been responsible for major exhibitions of Indian art in Paris, San Francisco, Zurich, San Diego, and Frankfurt. As Visiting Professor, he has taught at some of the most prestigious Universities, including the Universities of Heidelberg, Pennsylvania, California (at Berkeley and Los Angeles), Zurich, and Texas (at Austin), and lectured extensively at museums and universities in Europe, the U.S., and India.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 11, 2024
This book has been a faithful companion on my bedside table for over a year. Almost every night, I pick it up, open it to a random page, and look through some artworks and stories. While I may be deviating from the intended experience of reading it sequentially to understand the traditions and their cultural and historical contexts, this unstructured approach has its unique charm.
One night, I find myself transported to the Mughal world, where nature is observed with profound intimacy and depicted in dynamic compositions that integrate flora, fauna, and humans. On another night, I drift to sleep with the echoes of a ragamala scene, where art converges with music and poetry, creating a synesthetic experience.
Not every painting or style resonated equally with me, and at times, I struggled to grasp the value of certain works. The descriptions often fell short of enhancing my understanding of their beauty or artistry, leaving me yearning for more depth. I also wished the book had included artworks it referenced but didn’t showcase, as seeing these pieces might have enriched my appreciation of either the works or the context.
Perhaps it’s for these reasons that I preferred my unstructured way of engaging with the book.
One night, I find myself transported to the Mughal world, where nature is observed with profound intimacy and depicted in dynamic compositions that integrate flora, fauna, and humans. On another night, I drift to sleep with the echoes of a ragamala scene, where art converges with music and poetry, creating a synesthetic experience.
Not every painting or style resonated equally with me, and at times, I struggled to grasp the value of certain works. The descriptions often fell short of enhancing my understanding of their beauty or artistry, leaving me yearning for more depth. I also wished the book had included artworks it referenced but didn’t showcase, as seeing these pieces might have enriched my appreciation of either the works or the context.
Perhaps it’s for these reasons that I preferred my unstructured way of engaging with the book.
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September 1, 2023Wish the cover said this was sponsored by San Diego. Also, as with all curations, much of the commentary is on the theology behind the images and far less on the particular history.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews