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The Spirit Of Indian Painting

The Spirit Of Indian Painting

Close Encounters With 101 Great Works 1100-1900

B.N. Goswamy
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This magnificent, lavishly illustrated book by India’s most eminent and perceptive art historian, B.N. Goswamy, will open readers’ eyes to the wonders of Indian painting, and show them new ways of seeing and appreciating art. An illuminating introductory essay, ‘A Layered World’, explains the themes and emotions that inspired Indian painters, the values and influences that shaped their work, and the unique ways in which they depicted time and space. It describes, too, the characteristics of the different regional styles, the relationship between patrons and painters, the milieu in which they created their works, and the tools and techniques the painters used.
The second part of this book consists of ‘Close Encounters with 101 Great Works’. Carefully selected by Prof. Goswamy and spanning nearly a thousand years, these works range from Jain manuscripts, and Rajasthani, Mughal, Pahari and Deccani miniatures, to Company School paintings. His description and analysis of these works unlock the treasures that lie within them and show us how to ‘read’ each painting, as he points out its finest features, explains its visual vocabulary and symbolism, and recounts the story, legend or event that inspired it.
Combining deep scholarship with great storytelling, this is a book of enduring value that will both educate and delight the reader. It is destined to become a classic.

Imprint: India Allen Lane

Published: Nov/2014

ISBN: 9780670086573

Length : 584 Pages

MRP : ₹1499.00

The Spirit Of Indian Painting

Close Encounters With 101 Great Works 1100-1900

B.N. Goswamy

This magnificent, lavishly illustrated book by India’s most eminent and perceptive art historian, B.N. Goswamy, will open readers’ eyes to the wonders of Indian painting, and show them new ways of seeing and appreciating art. An illuminating introductory essay, ‘A Layered World’, explains the themes and emotions that inspired Indian painters, the values and influences that shaped their work, and the unique ways in which they depicted time and space. It describes, too, the characteristics of the different regional styles, the relationship between patrons and painters, the milieu in which they created their works, and the tools and techniques the painters used.
The second part of this book consists of ‘Close Encounters with 101 Great Works’. Carefully selected by Prof. Goswamy and spanning nearly a thousand years, these works range from Jain manuscripts, and Rajasthani, Mughal, Pahari and Deccani miniatures, to Company School paintings. His description and analysis of these works unlock the treasures that lie within them and show us how to ‘read’ each painting, as he points out its finest features, explains its visual vocabulary and symbolism, and recounts the story, legend or event that inspired it.
Combining deep scholarship with great storytelling, this is a book of enduring value that will both educate and delight the reader. It is destined to become a classic.

Buying Options
Paperback / Hardback
Ebooks

B.N. Goswamy

B.N. Goswamy (1933-2023), distinguished art historian, was Professor Emeritus of Art History at the Panjab University, Chandigarh. His work covers a wide range and is regarded, especially in Indian painting, as having influenced much thinking. He has been the recipient of many honours, including the Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship, the Rietberg Award for Outstanding Research in Art History, the JDR III Fellowship, the Mellon Senior Fellowship and, from the President of India, the Padma Shri (1998) and the Padma Bhushan (2008). Apart from the Panjab University, Professor Goswamy has taught, as Visiting Professor, at major universities across the world, including Heidelberg, Pennsylvania, University of California, Berkeley, University of California, Los Angeles, Austin and Zurich. He has been responsible for significant exhibitions of Indian art at international venues, including Paris, San Francisco, Zurich, New Delhi, San Diego and New York. He is the author of over 25 books on Indian art and culture, including: Pahari Painting: The Family as the Basis of Style (1968); Painters at the Sikh Court (1975); A Place Apart: Paintings from Kutch (with A.L. Dallapiccola; 1983); The Essence of Indian Art (1986); Wonders of a Golden Age: Painting at the Court of the Great Mughals (with E. Fischer; 1987); Pahari Masters: Court Painters of Northern India (with E. Fischer; 1992); Indian Costumes in the Calico Museum of Textiles (1993); Nainsukh of Guler: A Great Indian Painter from a Small Hill State (1997); and Domains of Wonder: Selected Masterworks of Indian Painting (with C. Smith; 2005); and, more recently, The Spirit of Indian Painting: Close Encounters with 101 Great Works (2014 and 2016); Manaku of Guler: Another Great Indian painter from a Small Hill State (2017); Oxford Readings in Indian Art (2018); The Great Mysore Bhagavata (2019); Conversations: India's Leading Art Histo: India's Leading Art Historian Engages with 101 themes, and More (2022) and The Indian Cat: Stories, Paintings, Poetry, and Proverbs (2024).

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