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South Indian Paintings: A Catalogue of the British Museum Collection

by Anna L. Dallapiccola

The British Museum's collection of South Indian paintings consists of around 1000 items ranging from the 17th to the 20th century and representing a wide variety of themes and techniques. Only a very few examples from this major collection have been published before. In this book the collection will be catalogued in full, and 250 of the most important items will be reproduced in colour.

The paintings will be described and listed according to the their topics (Hindu mythology; castes, trades and occupations; natural history drawings; painted narratives; India observed) and according to the medium on which they were executed (paper, cloth, leather, mica). Each section will begin with a brief introduction outlining the essential stylistic and iconographic features.

Among this material are a number of highly interesting albums such as a set of 91 paintings depicting Hindu mythology, dating from the early decades of the 19th century. More unusual items are the long painted scrolls from Andhra illustrating local mythological narratives, the painted cloths from Tamil Nadu depicting the Ramayana epic, and paintings on paper used by the storytellers of northern Karnataka. 384p, 250 col illus (British Museum Press 2010)

Review Quote

"...not a mere colorful coffee table centerpiece; rather, it is a scholarly and magnificent treatise by an authority in her field, one so enamored with India that it glows luminously through her words. A veritable treasure trove..."

Kalyani Giri
Indo American News (November 2010)

About the Author

Anna L. Dallapiccola studied at the University of Heidelberg. In 1981, she was appointed Professor of Indian Art History at the South Asia Institute of that University. Since1993 she has been Honorary Professor at the University of Edinburgh. Her other books include: Die ‘Paithan’ Malerei, The Sastric Traditions in Indian Arts (editor), Sculpture at Vijayanagara (co-authored with Anila Verghese), Hindu Myths, Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend, and King, Capital and Court (co-authored with CTM Kotraiah).

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