080110 PS Case Study I: Between East and West - the Beginnings of Indian Modern Art (2021S)

Content: In the 18th and 19th centuries, the art in India was decisively shaped by the British colonial era. The East India Company in particular, as the patron and client for authentic and perspective correct representations of Indian nature, made a strong contribution to the stylistic development of Indian modern painting. At the end of the 19th century, however, there was also strong resistance to Western styles and doctrines in art. The art scene in Calcutta, especially members of the well-known Tagore family, supported India's striving for independence with new impulses in art that were directed against the academic training of the British colonial reign. The so-called pan-Asian style was created by considering Indian local traditions and the inclusion of Japanese painting techniques. But the artistic exchange did not only take place with the East, also the German artists' association Bauhaus had its first exhibition in Calcutta in 1922.
As part of this course, selected works by Indian artists from the colonial era are to be analyzed and discussed, with the focus on the different stylistic, content-related, conceptual and philosophical orientations and the intensive exchange with Eastern and Western art traditions.

Method: Artistic developments and peculiarities of different styles are discussed by chosing selected examples, especially from painting and sculpture. In addition to the formal description and careful analysis and interpretation of objects in oral and written form, the critical examination of literature and written sources will also play a central role.

Objective: The aim of the seminar is an in-depth examination of the Indian art of the late 19th and early 20th centuries and the artistic exchange with Japan and Europe. The main focus is on the development of a methodical approach to the study of art objects, as well as on the critical analysis of relevant literature and the basics of scientific work.