This concise yet lively new survey guides the reader through 5,000 years of Indian art and architecture. A rich artistic tradition is fully explored through the Hindu, Buddhist, Islamic, Colonial, and contemporary periods, incorporating discussion of modern Bangladesh and Pakistan, tribal artists, and the decorative arts. Combining a clear overview with fascinating detail, Mitter succeeds in bringing to life the true diversity of Indian culture. The influence of Islam on the Mughal court, which produced the world-famous Taj Mahal and exquisite miniature paintings, is closely examined. More recently, he discusses the nationalist and global concerns of contemporary art, including the rise of female artists, the stunning architecture of Charles Correa, and the vibrant art scene. The very particular character of Indian art is set within its cultural and religious milieu, raising important issues about the profound differences between Western and Indian ideas of beauty and eroticism in art.

Indian Art (Oxford History of Art)

Arts & Photography

Mitter, Partha

History & Criticism

Oxford University Press

This richly illustrated book explores the contested history of art and nationalism in the tumultuous last decades of British rule in India. Western avant-grade art inspired a powerful weapon of resistance among India's artists in their struggle against colonial repression, and it is this complex interplay of Western modernism and Indian nationalism that forms the core of this book. With a fascinating array of art work, the book throws much light on a previously neglected strand of modern art, and challenges the dominance of Western modernism.

The Triumph of Modernism: India's Artists and the Avant-Garde, 1922-1947

A revised and updated edition of a classic work originally published by the Clarendon Press in 1977, in this fascinating study Partha Mitter traces the history of European reactions to Indian art, from the earliest encounters of explorers with the exotic East to the more sophisticated but still incomplete appreciations of the early twentieth century.

Much Maligned Monsters: History of European Reactions to Indian Art

In this fascinating study, Partha Mitter traces the history of European reactions to Indian art, from the earliest encounters of explorers with the exotic. East to the more sophisticated but still incomplete appreciations of the early twentieth century. Mitter's new Preface reflects upon the profound changes in Western interpretations of non-Western societies over the past fifteen years.

In this fascinating study, Partha Mitter traces the history of European reactions to Indian art, from the earliest encounters of explorers with the exotic. East to the more sophisticated but still incomplete appreciations of the early twentieth century. Mitter's new Preface reflects upon the profound changes in Western interpretations of non-Western societies over the past fifteen years.

Much Maligned Monsters: A History of European Reactions to Indian Art

University of Chicago Press

A major publication showcasing the history of Indian art across the subcontinent and South Asia from the late-nineteenth century to the present day. 
This landmark collection presents a new history of Indian art from the twentieth century to the present day. Recent decades have seen an overdue interest in the acquisition and exhibition of modern Indian and South Asian art and artists by major international museums. This essential, lavishly illustrated volume presents an engaging, informative history of modern art from the subcontinent as seen through the eyes of prominent Indian art historians. 
Illustrations are paired with a strong narrative through line, where key experts contribute multiple perspectives on modernism, modernity, and plurality, as well as expansive ideas about contemporary art practices. A range of subjects, including Group 1890, the Madras Art Movement, Regional Modern, and Dalit art, are contextualized, along with key artists such as Amrita Sher-Gil and Raqs Media Collective. There are also sections devoted to the art of Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and other parts of South Asia. 
Together with lively expert discussions and a selection of absorbing interviews with artists, 20th Century Indian Art meets a clear demand for a comprehensive and authoritative sourcebook on modern, postmodern, and contemporary Indian art. This is the definitive reference for anyone with an interest in Indian art and non-Western art histories. 
Published in association with Art Alive 621 color illustrations

20th Century Indian Art: Modern, Post-Independence, Contemporary

Mukherji, Parul Dave

Balaram, Rakhee

Thames&Hudson

Art and Nationalism in Colonial India, 1850–1922: Occidental Orientations

An original study of the history of modern Indian art, this book tells the story of Indian art during the Raj, set against the interplay of colonialism and nationalism. The work addresses the tensions and contradictions that attended the advent of European naturalism in India, as part of the imperial design for the westernization of the elite, and traces the artistic evolution from unquestioning westernization to the construction of Hindu national identity. Through a wide range of literary and pictorial sources, Partha Mitter's work balances the study of colonial cultural institutions with the ideologies of the nationalist and intellectual movements that followed.

Cambridge University Press

The tumultuous last decades of British colonialism in India were catalyzed by more than the work of Mahatma Gandhi and violent conflicts. The concurrent upheavals in Western art driven by the advent of modernism provided Indian artists in post-1920 India a powerful tool of colonial resistance. Distinguished art historian Partha Mitter now explores in this brilliantly illustrated study this lesser known facet of Indian art and history.
 Taking the 1922 Bauhaus exhibition in Calcutta as the debut of European modernism in India, The Triumph of Modernism probes the intricate interplay of Western modernism and Indian nationalism in the evolution of colonial-era Indian art. Mitter casts his gaze across a myriad of issues, including the emergence of a feminine voice in Indian art, the decline of “oriental art,” and the rise of naturalism and modernism in the 1920s. Nationalist politics also played a large role, from the struggle of artists in reconciling Indian nationalism with imperial patronage of the arts to the relationship between primitivism and modernism in Indian art. An engagingly written study anchored by 150 lush reproductions, The Triumph of Modernism will be essential reading for scholars of art, British studies, and Indian history.

The Triumph of Modernism: India's Artists and the Avant-garde, 1922-47

Reaktion Books

Traces the history of photography in Bombay from the mid-19th to the early-20th century.

The Artful Pose: Early Studio Photography in Mumbai - 1855-1940

Allana, Rahaab

Tankha, Akshaya

Photography & Video

Mapin Publishing Gp Pty Ltd

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Mitter, Partha. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Mitter, Partha

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Mitter, Partha. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Indian Art (Oxford History of Art)

The Triumph of Modernism: India's Artists and the Avant-Garde, 1922-1947

Much Maligned Monsters: History of European Reactions to Indian Art

Much Maligned Monsters: History of European Reactions to Indian Art

Much Maligned Monsters: A History of European Reactions to Indian Art

20th Century Indian Art: Modern, Post-Independence, Contemporary

Art and Nationalism in Colonial India, 1850–1922: Occidental Orientations

Art and Nationalism in Colonial India, 1850–1922: Occidental Orientations

The Triumph of Modernism: India's Artists and the Avant-garde, 1922-47

The Artful Pose: Early Studio Photography in Mumbai - 1855-1940