Course Description
This course introduces the diversity of art practices and material culture from the Indian subcontinent and situates them against their socio-cultural, political and temporal settings.
The content is arranged according to materials and techniques to support an immersive approach to understand Indian art.
Focus on materials and practices will enable students to draw connections between the historical artifacts and contemporary objects from the immediate surroundings.
Course Content
Clay: Terracotta and Terracruda
How is clay processed into objects?
Brick structures and urns from the Indus Valley and Megalithic sites in south India
Sculptures of terracotta and bronze from Harappa
Terracruda or unbaked clay-made objects and rituals
Module 2
Architecture I: Basics of Buddhist and Jain architecture
Wood, stone and living rock
Stupa, vihara, caves and temples from Shunga, Kushana, Maurya and Gupta periods
Quiz: 15 marks
Module 3
Pigment: Mineral and vegetal colours
How pigment-based paints are processed and applied to walls
Bhimbetka drawings
Murals of Sittanavasal and Ajanta
Module 4
Architecture II: Hinduism and temple building
Architectural treatise and utilisation of Vastupurusha mandala for making temples
Temples of Badami Chalukyas, Rashtrakuta, Chola, Chandela and Eastern Ganga dynasties
Midterm Examination (30 marks)
Module 5
Garden
Islam, the garden of paradise and afterlife
Tombs, palace, garden and waterways from the Mughal and Deccani context
Regional and foreign flora and fauna in Mughal and Deccani gardens
Module 6
Paper
How does paper affect the character of painting and calligraphy? How are ink and pigments prepared?
Jain manuscripts and Islamic treatise
Mughal, Deccani, Rajput and Pahari miniature paintings
Mysore and Tanjore paintings
Quiz: 15 marks
Module 7
Printing and Oil Painting: European Interventions
Printmaking techniques and their application in books and images
Bazar paintings of Kalighat and Battala woodcuts
Lithograph and Oleograph from Calcutta, Pune and Lucknow
Oil painting, Raja Ravi Varma
Module 8
Multimedia Approaches: Introduction to the Contemporary Indian Art
Post-independence artistic and design practices
Canvas painting, textile, furniture making and “new media”
End Term Examination (40 marks)