Art Encounters in Early Modern South Asia, c. 1400-1800

Catalog description

How did art shape cross-cultural encounters during the Early Modern era, a period that witnessed the heightened mobility of people, objects and ideas on an unprecedented scale? Drawing on itinerant objects and monumental architecture from South Asia between 1400 and 1850, this interdisciplinary seminar examines the ways in which cultural, ethnic, linguistic or religious difference was represented and perceived at moments of extended contact, both within and beyond the Indian subcontinent. It addresses the broader implications of trade, travel, warfare and piety on the visual and material cultures of South Asia through a wide variety of case studies. The first half of each session shall be devoted to a collective "close looking" at a range of primary sources—from first-hand accounts, lavishly illuminated manuscripts and picture albums to architecture, urban spaces and textiles. Our interrogation of these sources will lead us to engage with broader interpretative themes of cultural interaction, radiating out from peninsular and northern India to Persian-speaking societies, the Arab peninsula, Indian Ocean littoral, China and Europe. The course presumes no prior knowledge, and offers an introduction not only to early modern South Asia but also to the methods of art history itself. Formal teaching will be combined with discussions based on assigned readings and visual analysis of select works of art, culminating in a final research essay produced by students on an object or monument of their choice.