Friday lates: designs of India at the V&A

This course is an opportunity to make a guided study of objects in the V&A’s Nehru Gallery, building up a story of art and design in India and its interactions with foreign powers.
The course tutor has an in-depth practical understanding of how the schools of painting were formed and how the paintings were made, and of techniques of textile and garment production in the subcontinent, which will be brought to bear on the study. We will also cover some interesting background stories associated with the objects on display.
Focus areas will include:
• The development of miniature painting from its early roots in temple manuscripts, through the eclectic Mughal schools and painting in the Rajput kingdoms, to the influences of European painting and patronage.
• Costume and textiles made for the Rajput and Mughal courts, and their adaptation as trade textiles for the British market.
• Decorative arts, including jewelry, arms and armour.