This afternoon, we were treated to our first Nicholson Lecture of the term. Ms D’Cruz gave a superb talk entitled ‘What is Indian Art History?’.
Commencing with an overview of the vast time period we were dealing with, Ms D’Cruz then used several case studies to show the development of Indian Art. The talk focused particularly on Buddhist stupas (places to venerate relics) and how the Buddhist iconography from the early third century BCE seen most clearly at the Great Stupa at Sanchi had influenced modern day monuments across the South Asian and South-East Asian regions. Throughout the lecture, there were multiple comparisons to the Western Art and how the styles differ. It was followed by some interesting questioning delving into the provenance of the artwork discussed and how the development of art across the period demonstrated the impact of modes of communication.
Mr Majithia, Assistant Head (Enrichment)
