Date: 28/02/2015 - 07/03/2015
Time: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Venue: Moinuddin Ahmad Art Gallery, Aligarh Muslim University, New Delhi , New Delhi
The Curated Exhibition Images of India-a fascinating journey through time showcases the illustrated sketches, drawings, lithographs, etchings, wood-cut etc. of 18th 19th century rare books from the IGNCA archives which throw ample light on the art, architecture and various aspects of Indian culture and the contents provide information about the past which has got faded and distorted due to various reasons. The first-hand accounts of foreigners visiting India are undoubtedly valuable for the inquisitive scholars in the field of art and culture. The travel literature spans all fields of interest. While in the earlier travel accounts of the Europeans there is precedent of commercial and colonial interest which later on shifts to publication of recreational travel literature of the late 18th and 19th centuries. The contributors of the 18th 19th century European publications were members of British army and navy; surveyors, engineers, medical staff, travelers etc. Driven by the curiosity and being fascinated by what they saw in India – the lands and the diverse inhabitants, customs, as also beliefs prevalent amongst the people, the European travelers made their way to the most interior and the remotest parts to have an understanding of the regions. Much of what they wrote was intended for amusement to their readers, as well as for information and instruction. The exhibition give glimpses of old landscapes of the important cities; architecture of temples, mosques, tombs and living quarters; social life during the period and details of musical instruments, costumes, transportation and other objects of interest. The exhibition intends to make the scholars aware about the great variety of books on Indian art, architecture, culture, religion of the 19th and 20th century. The rich intellectual content and the matching illustrations of the books reveal to the readers of the state of the society when the country was passing through a transition phase, as a result of cross cultural currents, experiencing new influences from the west, adapting to new conditions and at the same time retaining the age old values, tradition and customs.
Moinuddin Ahmad Art GalleryiIn Collaboration with Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi
Curator:Virendra Bangroo