Art and Nationalism in Colonial India, Occidental Orientations
Partha Mitter's book is a pioneering study of the history of modern art on the Indian subcontinent from to The author tells the story of Indian art during the Raj, set against the interplay of colonialism and nationalism. The work addresses the tensions and contradictions that attended the advent of European naturalism in India, as part of the imperial design for the westernisation of the elite, and traces the artistic evolution from unquestioning westernisation to the construction of Hindu national identity. Through a wide range of literary and pictorial sources, Art and Nationalism in Colonial India balances the study of colonial cultural institutions and networks with the ideologies of the nationalist and intellectual movements which followed. The result is a book of immense significance, both in the context of South Asian history and in the wider context of art history.
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Partha's recent work has concerned the debates on the interface between East and West and the problematic nature of cultural exchanges that have assumed a fresh urgency today because of the increasing globalization of culture. The last two decades have witnessed serious soul searching among art historians about the future of the discipline faced with the collapse of earlier certainties and the demise of art history as a grand Hegelian narrative.
The sheer heterogeneity of global contemporary art has given rise to uncertainties. And yet underneath such seeming confusion the dominance of the western canon continues, creating exclusions and inclusions and the uneven relationship between centre and periphery. Because of the changes in global geopolitics and the emergence of art market, biennales and artists from the peripheries we need to rethink art history which has lagged behind these momentous developments.
Recent Publications
- Twentieth Century Indian Art, edited by Partha Mitter, Parul Dave Mukherjee and Rakhee Balaram
- "Interview: A 'Virtual Cosmopolis': Partha Mitter in Conversation with Keith Moxey", Art Bulletin, , No.3 (S
Indian Art
This concise yet lively new survey guides the reader through 5, 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.Partha Mitter is a writer and historian of art and culture, specialising in the reception of Indian art in the West, as well as in modernity, art and identity in India, and more recently in global modernism. He studied history at London University and did his doctorate with E. H. Gombrich (). He began his career as Junior Research Fellow at Churchill College, Cambridge () and Research Fellow at Clare Hall, Cambridge (). In he joined Sussex as a Lecturer in Indian History, retiring in as Professor in Art History.
His publications include Much Maligned Monsters: History of European Reactions to Indian Art (Clarendon Press, Oxford, Chicago University Press Paperback, ; Oxford University Press, New Delhi, ); Art and Nationalism in Colonial India Occidental Orientations (Cambridge University Press, ); Indian Art, Oxford Art History Series (Oxford University Press, Oxford, ); The Triumph of Modernism: India’s Artists and the Avant-Garde – (Reaktion Books, London, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, ).
Mitter was Radhakrishnan Lecturer at All Souls College, Oxford in and Getty Visiting Professor at Bogazici University, Istanbul i
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