Section 1: MAKING HISTORICAL AND CONCEPTUAL OUTLINES
Roy Craven's introductory art-history textbook is short enough
for you to skim through completely over the next week-end. I recommend
that you do so, in order to become familiar with the broad outlines and
categories of the history of art in South Asia. You then will be more
easily able to refer back to appropriate sections and specific images as
the course progresses.
It is also important to realize, however, the artifice of the
categories we apply, and some of the implicit assumptions we make, as an
author creates a history.
As a first written assignment, for the first Section next
Thursday, I would ask each of you to begin to make one Outline, using proper
outline form (i.e., I./ A./ 1./ a./ etc.), of the major periods,
categories, or divisions of Indian art as you find them in Craven's text.
I would then ask you to take time to make a brief analysis of
what sort of issues these Categories are based on (dates/period, regions,
dynasties/patrons, typology, Style, etc.?). If you wish, you may compare
these Categories to those you know from Art 101/2: i.e. Ancient,
Medieval, Baroque; Roman, early Christian, etc.; Impressionism,
"Modern," etc.) This Outline will be discussed in the first class
Section on 12 September.
It should then be possible to make a second Outline of the same
material, using these "conceptual categories". (As an example, the
"Indus-Valley Civilization" might be the opening category in an
Historical Outline of South Asia, but be placed as a sub-category under
"Regional" or "Chronological" in a Conceptual Outline.) The final
version of both Outlines will be due in class on Tuesday 17
September. Each of these Outlines should need to be no longer than 2-3
pages.
SUPPLEMENTARY READING FOR FIRST TWO WEEKS OF CLASS :
Irwin, John. "Ashokan Pillars: Symbolism," Burlington Magazine,
111 (1976): 734-53. (FA; reserve)
Kramrisch, Stella. "The Representation of Nature in Early
Buddhist Sculpture," in Exploring India's Sacred Art, ed. Barbara Miller,
pp. 123-29.
Mitra, Debala. "Life of Buddha" and "Monuments" in Buddhist
Monuments, pp. 1-20. (SARR)
Srinivasan, Doris. "The So-Called Proto-Shiva Seal from
Mohenjodaro," Archives of Asian Art 29 (1975-76): 44-58.