Art criticism shapes how art is understood, appreciated, and discussed. It provides a framework for analyzing and interpreting artworks, contributing to the cultural and intellectual discourse surrounding art. The development of art criticism in India has a long and layered history, reflecting the country's rich and diverse artistic traditions. However, Art Criticism as a genre in India is generally believed to have begun with the writings on art undertaken during the Colonial period. Europeans started to study Indian art and architecture, according to their understanding, in a more systematic manner than attempted in previously written accounts. They also wrote about Indian art, architecture, and crafts in European languages making information available to their readers in the Western world. This paper attempts to study European writers’ contribution to the development of art criticism in India, especially in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. A brief analysis of writings of art critics and writers like Birdwood, Kipling, Brown, Havell, Coomaraswamy, Sister Nivedita, Hollebecque, and Fabri among many others will also be incorporated as they played a seminal role in shaping art criticism in India during the period. The aim is to recognise various elements these writers induced through their works that shaped critical writings on art in India.

Authors:
Anantdeep Grewal, Panjab University Chandigarh, India

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Anantdeep Grewal is a guest faculty member in the Department of Art History and Visual Studies at Panjab University, Chandigarh, India. She is also a council member of the Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Saturday Schedule

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