Art Appreciation

Course Code: CCAA
Division: Conservation & Archives
Course HoD/ Coordinator: Dr. Kumar Sanjay Jha
Duration: 3 Months
Total Credits: 4
Mode of Classes: Offline
Eligibility: Graduation in any discipline
Fees: Rs. 10,000

Course Description:
This course provides an overview of the rich artistic as well as the aesthetic traditions of India and the West, spanning ancient to contemporary art forms. Through lectures, discussions, readings, and visual presentations and excursions to museum and archaeological sites, students will explore the cultural, historical, and religious contexts that have shaped Indian and Western art. The course aims to develop students’ understanding and appreciation of the aesthetic and philosophical foundations of Indian art traditions.

Course Objectives:
An endeavour to give to the diverse artistic traditions of India.
To explore the historical, cultural, and religious contexts of Indian Art.
An endeavour to develop the students’ ability to analyse and interpret both Indian and Western art.
To enhance students’ appreciation of the aesthetic and philosophical dimensions of Indian Art and traditions.
The following major topics will be discussed:

a. Foundation of Indian Art (Aesthetics and Philosophical Foundations), overview of art appreciation, Concepts of beauty and aesthetics in Indian art & Symbolism and iconography in Indian art.
b. Prehistoric/Proto-historic Art of India, Indus Valley Civilization & Recent excavations and Discoveries in India and abroad, overview of excavation(tools and techniques)
c. Architecture- Temple Architecture of India, Islamic Architecture, Indo-Sarcenic and Colonial Architecture
d. Indian Sculptural art
e. Indian Painting from cave painting to Thanka Paintings and tribal & folk Paintings and other regional art forms (Mithila, Gond, Worli, Kalamkari, Pattachitra, Kalighat etc.
f. Western Art & Aestheticians- Plato, Immanuel Kant & Hegel and Ancient Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Greek, and Roman art Characteristics, themes, and techniques
g. Modern/ contemporary art principles.