Forthcoming exhibition
Press Release
13 January 2010
THE INDIAN
PORTRAIT 1560–1860
11 March – 20 June 2010
Press View:
Wednesday 10 March 2010, 11am-1pm (with a tour at 11.30am)
Spring Season Sponsor: Herbert Smith
- The first ever exhibition devoted to
Indian portraits
- 60 outstanding portraits drawn from
collections in the
An important exhibition telling
the story of the Indian portrait over three centuries will open at the National
Portrait Gallery on 11 March 2010. Bringing together 60 works from
international public and private collections, The
Indian Portrait 1560-1860 will celebrate the beauty, power and
humanity of these works of art. The exhibition sets out to show that Indian portraiture
– an area of artistic achievement overlooked in
The works in the exhibition
range from magnificent formal portraits of the Mughal emperors to penetrating
studies of courtiers and holy men, as well as candid depictions by Indian
artists of Europeans living in
Important loans include: two
pages from the Padshahnama made
for Shah Jahan, now in the Royal Collection; a huge Mughal cloth painting of
the Emperor Jahangir; and a pair of images of the Mughal courtier ‘Inayat
Khan close to death, which have never previously been shown together in the
Developing from its origins
at the Mughal court under the emperor Akbar in the sixteenth century,
portraiture spread to the Islamic sultanates of the
Exhibits have been assembled
from several private collections as well as public institutions such as the Metropolitan
Museum of Arts, New York, the
The Indian
Portrait 1560-1860 is curated by Rosemary Crill
and Kapil Jariwala. Rosemary Crill is a Senior Curator at the
Selected works and a trail by
The Singh Twins will offer a contemporary response to the exhibition and the Gallery’s
permanent collection. Contemporary
Connections: The Singh Twins in the Studio Gallery at the National
Portrait Gallery will run simultaneously with The
Indian Portrait 1560-1860. The London-born twin sisters are internationally
acclaimed contemporary British artists whose award-winning paintings explore issues
of social, political, religious and multicultural debate. Using a narrative,
decorative, symbolic and witty ‘Past Modern’ (as opposed to Post
Modern) style, they have initiated a new movement in the revival of the Indian
miniature tradition within modern art practice. For more information on their
work please go to: www.singhtwins.co.uk
To coincide with the
exhibition, there is a rich season of events planned. Highlights include a
Singh Twins masterclass; a major two-day international conference in
partnership with the
PUBLICATION
A fully-illustrated book by
curators Rosemary Crill and Kapil Jariwala accompanies the exhibition.
Featuring over 100 portraits, the book includes detailed captions and
fascinating essays by J.P. Losty, Robert Skelton and Susan Stronge as well as
analysis of painting techniques and materials. RRP £25 hardback.
For further
press information, please contact:
To download
press releases and images, please go to: www.npg.org.uk/press
National
Portrait Gallery, St Martin’s Place WC2H 0HE, opening hours Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday: 10am – 6pm (Gallery closure
commences at 5.50pm) Late Opening: Thursday,
Friday: 10am – 9pm (Gallery closure commences at 8.50pm) Nearest Underground: Leicester
Square/Charing Cross General information:
0207 306 0055 Recorded information: 020
7312 2463 Website/Tickets: www.npg.org.uk
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Dr Jan Marsh
Later Victorian Catalogue
Direct
T 020 7321 6629 F 020 7306 0056 www.npg.org.uk
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