Etchings and Engravings

Les Civilizations De L’inde

This illustrated book with over 350 engravings and photogravures, authored by the French polymath Gustave Le Bon (1841-1931), was published in 1887. Gustave Le Bon was sent to India by the Ministry of Public Instruction (now, Ministry of National Education), Government of France, to methodically research and report on the arts and culture of the… Read more »

Durbar of the Rajah of Travancore, Reception of General Outram and Staff

This coloured engraving shows an assemblage at the Travancore royal court with  James Outram and his staff  and Maharaja of Travancore, Uthram Thirunal Marthanda Varma (1814-1860). General James Outram was appointed as a political agent in Lucknow in 1854 and became the region’s first commissioner after the annexation of Oudh State. He was a British… Read more »

Shadows under my sky – 4

This artwork titled ‘Shadows under my sky – 4’ is a woodblock created by  Soghra Khurasani (b. 1983), contemporary artist based in Vadodara (Baroda), Gujarat. Landscapes are a significant feature in Soghra Khurasani’s work as inspiring, open spaces that can be explored. This woodblock was part of Khurasani’s solo show, Shadows under my sky, at… Read more »

Baroche on the banks of Nerbudda in Guzerat

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, company officials and professional artists played an important role in collecting and disseminating knowledge about India – an activity central to British imperialism. The discovery and definition of vegetation and fauna helped the Company’s mission of exploiting lucrative raw materials and furthering scientific research. Sketching was a quick and… Read more »

Surat on the Banks of the Tappee

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, company officials and professional artists played an important role in collecting and disseminating knowledge about India – an activity central to British imperialism. The discovery and definition of vegetation and fauna helped the Company’s mission of exploiting lucrative raw materials and furthering scientific research. Sketching was a quick and… Read more »