ARCH 245 - Palaces and Paintings of India

As South Asian temple complexes expand, they become entire cities and they share the form of kings’ palatial fort-complexes. Expanding outward in concentric rings from their sacred, private cores, these temples and palaces, as well as garden-tombs and houses of government for the British Raj, create visions of divine transcendence on earth, transformative spaces where every visitor has a chance to engage with the ultimate order of creation. Students also explore the paintings made for the people who inhabited these palaces, with special attention to delicate Mughal portraits, impassioned love lyrics favored by Rajput princes, and spaces magically transformed by the presence of the sacred–Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, and Muslim. Special attention is devoted to analyzing elements that lend South Asian art its distinctive character.

Credits: 1.00
Corequisite: None
Prerequisites: None
Major/Minor Restrictions: None
Class Restriction: None
Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
Liberal Arts Practices: Artistic Practice and Interpretation
Core Component: None

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