South Indian Paintings

The book summarizes political and artistic developments in the subcontinent between 1500 A.D. and 1900 A.D. and provides a brief survey of South Indian painting from the medieval period onwards. The British Museum holds a major collection of more than a thousand South Indian paintings, which are described here. Ranging from the 18th century to the early-20th century, these paintings represent a wide variety of themes and techniques but only a few examples have been published before.

In this book, the collection is catalogued in full, according to subject and the support on which they were executed (paper, mica, leather, cloth or wood). A range of forms—from paintings of Hindu mythology, the painted scrolls of Andhra Pradesh, cloth paintings of Tamil Nadu, to paper paintings used by storytellers—are all highlighted in this compilation. Atleast 250 of the most significant works are reproduced in all their vibrant colour. Each section of the book begins with a short discussion of stylistic and iconographic features, ensuring that the book is accessible not only to scholars but also to students and enthusiasts of all aspects of South Asian art and culture.