Hello!
I am sharing a book that will definitely help you if you are a student of art history or art or if you have any kind of interest to know the sources of Indian art. It is Oxford Readings in Indian Art Edited by B N Goswamy.
Art history is a field that is still in its infancy. While there have always been individuals who have appreciated and studied art throughout history, it wasn’t until the early twentieth century that art history became recognized as a distinct and important field of study. One of the challenges in studying art of earlier times is that there is often limited documentation or historical evidence available. Artifacts from ancient and medieval times can be scattered, incomplete, or fragmented. Art historians must often piece together a picture of the past by drawing upon a wide range of sources, from historical texts and documents to archaeological evidence and comparative analysis.
Despite these challenges, art historians have been working tirelessly since long to reconstruct the history of art from our past. Art has been a prominent subject in literary texts since ancient times, with references and extensive passages found in various works. However, gathering all the available information about visual art from different time periods and sources can be a challenging task. It requires careful analysis and selection of the relevant chapters from each text to create a comprehensive picture of the art and its evolution over time. Despite these challenges, art historians and scholars have made significant strides in piecing together the history of art through their work in gathering and interpreting these scattered sources. The literary texts that contain references to art provide us with valuable insights into the evolution of art and its impact on society, and their study is an important part of the broader field of art history.
The collaborative effort by B.N. Goswamy and Vrinda Agrawal lead to the volume of readings in Indian Art. This volume brings together an incredible array of sources to provide a comprehensive overview of historiography of Indian art. Goswamy and Agrawal have assembled a remarkable collection of primary texts, historical documents, and scholarly essays, creating what could be considered a little encyclopedia of Indian Art.
Lets look into the content of this volume. It has divided into six parts according to the nature of the readings.
The first section discusses the early textual references and provides 28 different situations to the existence of academic and artistic practices in ancient times. This volume contains references to the hymns of creation from the Rig Veda. Bharata’s identification of a sculpture of his father, through its lakshanas. Sixty-four arts from Yashodhara’s commentary on Vatsyayana’s Kamasutra and Shaivatantra. Additionally, a Tocharian Jataka recounts a painter who deceived everyone by painting a life-like image of his own corpse, and a competition between artists from Turkey and China is described. All these reveal the conceptual and technical advancements of ancient society. These articles referring to primary sources offer secure dating.
The second part focuses on icons and their measurements, providing detailed descriptions and instructions for the creation of images in painting, sculpture, and architecture. These references are drawn from various sources such as the Chitrasutra, Tantric text Shivarahasya, Manasara, Sukranitisara, Sadhanamala, Kalpasutra, and others. There are a total of 16 references that offer insights into the iconography and measurement-related aspects of art and architecture.
The third section deals with Aesthetic Theory and is the shortest or I would say, under developed, of the six parts. It is lacking in data as it only touches upon the concept of rasa, aesthetic experience, and the six fundamental rules of painting, which were a colonial interest. There is much more to explore in the realm of aesthetic theories related to art, such as dhvani, chitrakavya, and bandha, among others. Unfortunately, only five excerpts are included in this section.
The fourth section delves into Arts in Practice and as Observed, exploring references to the methods and materials used in creating art. This section is significant as it provides insight into the resources available for art and any changes that occurred over time. Here, you can discover the various methods and materials employed by artists across different time periods and under different patronages. A total of 43 reference articles are included, providing a comprehensive view of the practical side of art creation.
The fifth section explores Artists and Patrons, a topic that is often under-valued in the Indian context. This section provides evidence of references to artists and patrons from different time periods, ranging from ancient to medieval and up to the early twentieth century. A total of 58 references are included, shedding light on the relationships between artists and patrons throughout history.
The sixth section presents some Early Art Historical Writings, featuring excerpts from writers who wrote about Indian art during the British colonial era and up until the times of independence. This section includes contributions from 43 writers, offering a glimpse into the perspectives and interpretations of Indian art during a critical period of its history.
I hope you now have a better understanding of the Oxford Readings in Indian Art, which is published by Oxford University Press and is priced at Rs. 1995/-. I was fortunate enough to receive this book as a gift from the Raza Foundation when I was selected for their Young Art Writers’ Workshop in New Delhi in 2018, the same year it was published. During the workshop, I had the privilege of hearing directly from Vrinda Agrawal about her work with the acclaimed art historian B N Goswamy on this volume.
If you’ve read this book or have any other recommendations for books on Readings in Indian art, please let me know in the comments below.
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ART-SEARCH COLUMN 