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Destination India: A Lost Art Era Rediscovered
21 Feb
Summary
- Exhibition showcases foreign artists' intimate views of India from 1857-1947.
- Features diverse artists from Germany, Japan, America, and Britain.
- Highlights a shift from grand landscapes to street-level glimpses of Indian life.
An exhibition, 'Destination India,' will open at the Alipore Museum in Kolkata on February 28, 2026, and run until May 2. It will feature works by foreign artists who traveled to India between the Uprising of 1857 and Independence in 1947. Artists from Germany, Holland, Denmark, France, America, and Japan, alongside Britain, captured intimate, street-level glimpses of Indian life.
This collection highlights a shift in Orientalist art, moving away from grand landscapes towards scenes of daily life in bazaars and havelis. Artists like Edward Lear and William Simpson documented a rapidly changing India, influenced by new technologies like photography and picture postcards.
The exhibition investigates the European artist's perspective, shaped by romanticism and sometimes prejudice, offering insights into India during a time of profound transformation. 'Destination India' showcases nearly 40 artists' views of Indian people and places, bringing artworks back to the subcontinent after almost a century.
