Coffee table porn: A list of Indian art history books

Editor’s note: Here’s a list of stunning eye candy of the most erudite variety. Chintan Modi offers a wonderful guide to Indian art—to satisfy both the curiosity of the beginner and the high standards of the connoisseur.

Written by: Chintan Girish Modi is a writer, journalist, educator, book reviewer and cultural commentator. He writes for Hindustan Times, Business Standard, Art India, The Hindu, Frontline, Queerbeat, Himal, and Teacher Plus, among other publications. His prose and poetry have appeared in books like ‘101 Indian Children's Books We Love’, ‘Bent Book: A Queerish Anthology’, ‘Fearless Love’, ‘Clear Hold Build’, and ‘Borderlines’. You can follow him on Instagram and X.

With the annual India Art Fair in Delhi coming up from February 6 to 9, this is a great time to add some books on Indian art to your reading list. From artists cheering the downfall of the British empire to those mourning the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits, from scholarly works to accessible biographies, from ancient Buddhist to medieval Mughal architecture—these books will introduce you to individuals, collectives, and movements that make up the diverse and colourful mosaic of Indian art.

Insurgency and the Artist: The Art of the Freedom Struggle in India by Vinay Lal: This richly produced volume looks at the role of art in fuelling and documenting anti-colonial resistance. It spins a visual narrative of the Indian freedom struggle using paintings, prints, calendars, photographs, woodcuts, cartoons, postcards, advertisements, and engravings. The author—a history professor— analyses how artists employed religious iconography to evoke feelings of nationalist pride and deify Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose and Bhagat Singh alongside Bharat Mata. Chittaprosad, Sobha Singh, Roop Kishore Kapur, Zainul Abedin, MV Dhurandhar, and Babuji Shilpi (see below) are some of the artists featured here. 

Tree and Serpent: Early Buddhist Art in India edited by John Guy: As statues of Gautama Buddha proliferating across living rooms, hotel lobbies, spas, and hospitals, it seems odd to recall a time when his visual representations were limited to two primary motifs—the peepal tree under which he attained enlightenment, and the nagaraja Mucalinda who protected him during a storm. Based on an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, this book edited by John Guy offers a breathtaking study of Buddhist art produced in southern India between 200 and 400 BCE. Apart from images, it has essays by Gregory Schopen, Vincent Tournier, Himanshu Prabha Ray, Norman Underwood, Sunil Gupta, Akira Shimada, Monika Zin, Federico Caro, Vaishnavi Patil and Guy himself.

Jali: Lattice of Divine Light in Mughal Architecture edited by Navina Najat Haidar: It is hard to imagine Mughal palaces, tombs and mosques without their intricately carved jalis that serve multiple functions—from filtering harsh sunlight and cooling the air to creating a safe haven for worship and offering privacy to women. This book examines how Mughal architecture is informed by the Qur’an and earlier traditions of stone carving in the Indian subcontinent, including jalis found in Hindu and Jain temples. Haider’s expertise as an art historian is complemented by Abhinav Goswami’s stunning photographs of jalis and essays by Mitchell Abdul Karim Crites, George Michell, Ebba Koch and the editor herself.

20th Century Indian Art edited by Partha Mitter, Parul Dave Mukherji, Rakhee Balaram: Edited by three art historians of great repute, this book is a visual feast featuring the work of artists such as Nandalal Bose, Ramkinkar Baij, Gulammohammed Sheikh, Tyeb Mehta, Bhupen Khakhar, Sara Abraham, Nilima Sheikh, Madhvi Parekh, Nalini Malani, Nasreen Mohamedi, and Tejal Shah among others. It contains insightful essays on how 20th-century Indian art was shaped by historical, political, social and economic factors including the Industrial Revolution, the British Raj, the end of colonial rule, Partition, the turn to Indigenous traditions as a response to Euro-American modernism, and eventually, globalisation. It also shows how art has evolved in Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. The image below is Jitish Kallat's 11 feet X 26.5 feet painting titled 'Horrorificabilitudinitatibus.'

Amrita Sher-Gil: Rebel with a Paintbrush by Anita Vachharajani: This illustrated biography–targeted at children and teenagers— offers a deep dive into the brilliance of Amrita Sher-Gil. Born to an Indian father and a Hungarian mother, this avant-garde artist was fortunate to experience the world in all its vastness and complexity even though she lived only up to the age of 28. She refused to live by rules that made no sense to her, and this rebellious spirit is visible in her work. Given the age of its intended audience, it does not feature any of the nude paintings that she produced. However, it can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Apart from artworks by Sher-Gil, it also has illustrations by Kalyani Ganapathy. 

Veer Munshi by Ranjit Hoskote and Nancy Adajania: Srinagar-born artist Veer Munshi was compelled to leave home during the mass exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in the 1990s. Moving first to Shimla, and then to Delhi, he continued to paint, refusing to let the rise of militancy and fundamentalist forces erase his memories of friendships with the Kashmiri Muslims he grew up with. The art critics and cultural theorists who have co-authored this book shed light on Munshi’s creative process, output and politics. The format of a conversation, involving three people, makes the writing sparkle with energy.

The Catalyst: Rudolf Von Leyden and India’s Artistic Awakening by Reema Desai Gehi: This meticulously researched biography makes us think about the importance of patronage in the art world, filled with gatekeepers. The book’s protagonist is Rudi, a German geologist of Jewish heritage who escaped the Nazis and came to India where he set up an advertising studio and became a political cartoonist and art critic. He championed artists MF Husain, SH Raza, FN Souza and KH Ara at the beginning of their careers. The author uses Rudi’s letters to his mother, and his brother Wolfgang’s memoir, to paint a vivid picture.