Tuesday, January 17, 2012

New Book: Christian Themes in Indian Art from Mughal Times to the Present


While I'm working on a short history of contextualized Christian art in India, I came across this recently published book titled Christian Themes in Indian Art from Mughal Times to the Present.  Sounds like a really comprehensive volume (428 pages), so I took the plunge and ordered a copy from India (see more on ordering info below-- you can get it cheaper than Amazon).  Here are the highlights from the online description:
This book is a pioneering work, showcasing Christian themes in Indian art from the beginnings of Christianity in India till today. The authors have, in the main, death with paintings and sculptures, but have supplemented this with one chapter on architecture, particularly that of church buildings, and one on popular art, including stamps. Around 1,100 rare colored illustrations make this publication a unique reference book. It is the first complex treatment of the theme done in the last 25 years. Special emphasis is givin to artists who as Hindus, Muslims and Parsees have chosen to paint Biblical themes...
The authors always give a short biography and then highlight hi/her works connected with the theme... Christian artists include the late F.N. Souza, who simultaneously hated and loved his Christian childhood God, and artists like A.D. Thomas, Angela Trindade, A Fonseca, V. Masoji, F. Wesley, C.J. Anthony Doss, Alphonso Doss, S. Raj, and J. Sahi, all who stand for the attempt to incorporate the Christian gospel into the Indian culture. This original research includes many young talents. An extensive Bibliography, Glossary and Index make this book a real reference source for many years to come.
I would suggest ordering the book on bookfinder.com, rather than Amazon.  However, beware that for copies shipping from India, the shipping charge may be revised upon ordering to approximately $45 due to the weight of the book, which you will be asked to approve first.

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