From Dutch to the English, everyone had their eyes on Indian textiles from 17th century onwards. What made these so exotic?
From Dutch to the English, everyone had their eyes on Indian textiles from 17th century onwards. What made these so exotic?
The extraordinary story of how a sixteenth-century South Indian temple hall ended up in Philadelphia Museum of Art
Of the thousands who visit the landmark every day, very few have an idea about the hard time it ran into at the time of inception
(Mr Benwell) was ‘conspicuous for original and pleasing delineations of native life, landscape and buildings in India, evidently drawn on the spot…’ — Buckland’s Dictionary of Indian Biography ‘In Calcutta, the road-sweepers belong to a government department. Their operations are...
The French artist was obsessed with money, first to give it to the poor, then as a painter of realistic-looking images of notes
Edmund Dulac’s magical illustrations influenced and entertained generations of children and adult readers
There is something in the Pichhwai paintings dedicated to Shrinath-ji that remains elusive, almost unknowable
The old-time art of storytelling might have faded but daastans are still around, and these are being told by new and eloquent daastan-gos
Well after his ground-breaking ‘Origin of Species’ had been widely acknowledged, the naturalist began spending hours to see young cucumbers and carnations grow
It bears the air of a bygone time, but the little information that its pages carry confuses rather than throwing light on its origins
Exactly 200 years ago, the Rosetta Stone was finally decoded and a key to Egyptian hieroglyphs came into hand
A scholar has tracked down the research that the filmmaker undertook for Shatranj ke Khiladi, the only Hindi film he made
Revisiting Dom Moraes and Mario Miranda’s enchanting travelogue, packing history, surprise, the warmth of humanity
King, conqueror, philosopher — the multifaceted Greek hero lives on in tales and artistic representations
For three decades, the Brazilian photographer has observed, recorded and lived the lives of people he shot
BN Goswamy Life is like riding a bicycle: in order to keep your balance, you must keep moving. — Albert Einstein The bicycle is the most civilised conveyance known to man. Other forms of transport grow daily more nightmarish. Only...
Apart from loss of human lives and whole cities being destroyed is the impending death of national culture and art
Recollecting Areopagitica, the writer’s searing text against censorship and curtailment of liberties
Recalling their faith, myth, sorrow, relief, joy, reverence for the dead, a connection with the other world
Selfless service always pays off. Neighbours helping neighbours reflects a caring society. The virtue of a charitable act in the life of a little boy was rewarded multiple times in the life of Shalibhadra. As a result, he was able...
From Xerox to Xenophobia to X-men, several things illustrate the alphabet today. But in 19th century, examples were too few
150 years after his death, a letter written in shorthand by the English writer has finally been deciphered
Cloves, cardamoms, and store of cloth Sweet-smelling grass and ambergris O merchant, let thy cargo be That thou dost set upon the seas. No crazy wreck on work engage, For hark! Ahead the breakers rage. … “The peacocks are all...
Struck by a warrior’s (soor in Hindi) arrow There is piercing pain in the chest. But when you are pierced by a verse of Sur(das) Your whole body feels as if set on fire. — Saying attributed to Tansen, the...
We may not see soap bubbles in Indian paintings, but elsewhere, they have been a theme, inspiring architecture too
Told through the eyes of an Englishman, ‘A Brief History of Ancient and Modern India’ and the illustrations it encapsulates narrate the ideals and the hubris of our then colonial masters
Cats can really surprise, but never as much as when they wield the brush and colour the canvas
Epic Iran, a recent exhibition, brought together from across the world, objects reminding about the great civilisation
Indian elements abound in this collection of Ragamala paintings, but visual rendering carries an unmistakable stamp of Nepal
A noisy anti-vaxxer movement tried to thwart trials of small-pox vaccine, illustrating its point through caricatures and cartoons