A rich record of a complex past, this book is a wonderful combination of striking images and succinct text that explores the development of the genre of portrait-painting in the Indian subcontinent over a period of 300 years; focusing on the development of styles, techniques and subjects. Some of these are among the most celebrated of all Indian works of art.
This book traces the development of portrait-painting within the vast body of Indian painting from the 16th to 19th century. From its beginning under the Mughal ruler Humayun and his successor Akbar, portraiture progressed to the Hindu courts of Rajasthan and the Punjab Hills, as well as to the Islamic kingdoms of the Deccan further south. During the period of the British rule in the 18th and 19th centuries, portraits by Indian artists, often working under Western patronage, reached remarkable levels of skill and virtuosity. Different regions and periods produced strikingly varied styles of portraiture, which are discussed in essays and plate captions that accompany 60 paintings.
Illustrated with portraits from the National Portrait Gallery, London.
About the Author
Rosemary Crill is a Senior Curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum and Kapil Jariwala is an independent curator.
