Customer Reviews

Indian Art (Oxford History of Art)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a necessary corrective to previous, stale surveys of Indian art. It gives full attention to the whole range of art and architecture and also stresses the strong contribution of Islamic, tribal, and women's art. This is the standard volume at this time.

If you're looking for a comprehensive treatment of all issues pertaining to indian art, this ain't it. If, on the other hand, you want an authoritative introduction to a complex subject, this is the book for you. Author takes the reader through the various categories and time-frame's of Indian artistic development, with a strong emphasis on architecture in the form of palaces and places of worship. I read this after tackling Dozinger's cultural history of india, and I found this book to a useful addendum to that book.

This history is careful in its analysis of native and imperial artistic traditions, as well as the relationship between the two. It is aided by many appropriately placed photographs of the pieces it describes. My only complaint is that the writing itself is fairly boring, and doesn't exactly invite the reader to keep reading.

My professor insists we read this book as a foundation for our Indian Vernacular course. She has read most text books on the subject and insists this is the only one that is accurate and gives and appropriate survey of Indian Art.

Although Partha Mitter has written a much better book "Much Maligned Monsters", this book is a total flop. It is hackneyed and bending backwards to be politically correct. For example, a major portion of the book is devoted to Islamic Art (712-1757), but the Islamic kings did not even get properly established in India for 400 years after the putative beginning of this period. Mitter's understanding of the earliest art is less then exemplary and his choices from the most recent period are idiosyncratic. I was greatly disappointed in this book.

I purchased this book for my own enjoyment and to supplement the required readings for my Asian Art class. It is a visual delight, inspiring, and highly informative as well.