Art Appreciation: An Introduction to Indian Art

The course intends to present a broad overview of Indian Art from pre-historical to contemporary times and to make the students aware of the rich heritage of Indian art. This course will help the students to understand various art forms, more specifically visual arts such as sculptures, paintings, architectural buildings and monuments etc. This course will help the students to appreciate Indian artistic traditions not merely for their aesthetic values but also for the historical processes associated with their creation. The course intended to see the art forms/pieces not in isolation but situate them in a larger context of polity, society, culture, religion, economy and environment. This course will also familiarize the students with symbolism associated with art objects to appreciate them not just as inanimate objects but as something with deeper meaning and historical significance. Through this course students will know the challenges facing by the art works and they shall be made aware of legal and institutional frameworks for heritage protection in India.

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to Indian art, from ancient to contemporary times, in order to understand and appreciate its diversity and its aesthetic richness. The course will equip students with the abilities to understand art as a medium of cultural expression. It will give students direct exposure to Indian art through visuals, and visits to sites and museums.
Unit I. Prehistoric and protohistoric art: Rock art; Harappan arts and crafts
UnitII. Indian art (c. 600 BCE – 600 CE): World Heritage Site Managers, UNESCO World Heritage Manuals [can be downloaded/ accessed at www.unesco.org] Notions of art and craft Canons of Indian paintings Major developments in stupa, cave, and temple art and architecture Early Indian sculpture: style and iconography Numismatic art
UnitIII. Indian Art (c. 600 CE – 1200 CE) : Temple forms and their architectural features Early illustrated manuscripts and mural painting traditions Early medieval sculpture: style and iconography Indian bronzes or metal icons
UnitIV. Indian art and architecture (c. 1200 CE – 1800 CE) : Sultanate and Mughal architecture Miniature painting traditions: Mughal, Rajasthani, Pahari Introduction to fort, palace and haveli architecture V. Modern and Contemporary Indian art and Architecture: The Colonial Period Art movements: Bengal School of Art, Progressive Artists Group, etc. Major artists and their artworks Popular art forms (folk art traditions)