Thanjavur's Gilded Gods: South Indian Paintings in the Kuldip Singh Collection, 9789383243242

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Thanjavur's Gilded Gods: South Indian Paintings in the Kuldip Singh Collection

Anna L. Dallapiccola (Author) Kuldip Singh (Author) R.G. Singh (Author)

Synopsis

Thanjavur paintings are among the most popular artworks that adorn the walls of Indian homes—avidly collected but little comprehended. This richly illustrated volume presents an enhanced understanding of the subject through an in-depth study of South Indian paintings of the 18th and 19th centuries in the Thanjavur and the allied Mysuru styles.

The meticulously researched text showcases and engages with Kuldip Singh's unique collection of 300 paintings. Also included are painted prints, some reverse-glass works and a few lithographs. These cover a wide range of idioms and themes: from the domain of gods and goddesses and the sites and stories associated with their worship, we come down to the realm of their human patrons with portraits made of maharajas, priests and ordinary individuals. We also gain a glimpse of the different regions and schools that come under the larger ambit of the term "South Indian" paintings.

A historical and cultural background provides an overview and context to the material while a description of technique and an analysis of styles highlights an aesthetic appreciation. In addition to a focus on the process of conserving and preserving these works, the book looks at the contemporary status of this form which is experiencing a revival within the art market.

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About the authors

Anna L. Dallapiccola

Anna L. Dallapiccola, Formerly Professor of Indian Art History at the University of Heidelberg, is now Honorary Professor at Edinburgh University and Visiting Professor at PRASADA, Department of Architecture at De Montfort University, Leicester. Among her recent publications are Sculpture at Vijayanagara: Iconography and Style, together with Anita Verghese (Manohar, New Delhi, 1998) and Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend (Thames and Hudson, London, 2002). A member of the Vijayanagar Research Project since 1983, she takes a particular interest in the art and culture of the Vijayanagara era.

Kuldip Singh

Kuldip Singh is an architect and town planner, functioning as a consultant on important architectural and urban design projects. During extensive travels over 40 years in South India he gathered a collection of Thanjavur and Mysuru paintings. He is self-taught about the art and crafts of South India, and recently organized a conservation laboratory in his office at Delhi where the work of dating the paintings continues.

R.G. Singh

R.G. Singh is the Secretary of Ramsons Kala Pratishtana, Mysuru, an art trust. He has been collecting Mysuru paintings since 1987, and has been instrumental in patronizing the revival of this style. A sizeable collection is housed in a private museum of the trust. He has lectured extensively on art and heritage, written several monographs and organized exhibitions.

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