ARTS 244
Taswirkhana: Technique and Practice of Indian Drawing and Painting Spring 2024
Division I Difference, Power, and Equity
Cross-listed ASIA 239 / ARTH 235

Class Details

Small in scale but vast in its representation, the world of Indian painting is famous for its stylized naturalism and mastery of line. It is an artistic practice whose legacy stretches back to at least the first century CE. This studio course will introduce students to the technique and practice of traditional Indian drawing and painting. The course is designed as a workshop in which students will learn to use materials and techniques of this art form. By engaging with a non-western traditional practice, the aim of the course is to expose students to a pluralistic engagement with art making. Students will learn paper and pigment preparation, as well as the basics of traditional drawing and painting techniques. The class will learn from studying a selection of original masterworks of Indian art from the Williams College Museum of Art that will be displayed in the Object Lab. Working with original artworks will help students situate the hands-on study of Indian painting practice alongside exemplary historical examples.
The Class: Format: studio
Limit: 18
Expected: 16
Class#: 3949
Grading: no pass/fail option, no fifth course option
Requirements/Evaluation: Class participation, discussions and critiques, successful completion of all assignments and attendance
Prerequisites: none, open to all students
Enrollment Preferences: Instructor permissions requires. If the course over enrolls preference will be given to studio art and art history majors.
Materials/Lab Fee: $400
Distributions: Division I Difference, Power, and Equity
Notes: This course is cross-listed and the prefixes carry the following divisional credit:
ASIA 239 Division I ARTH 235 Division I ARTS 244 Division I
DPE Notes: The course invites students to engage with a pluralistic studio practice that is in stark contrast to mainstream modern and contemporary art practices. The course will follow a traditional, Indian workshop-style format which has its own particular rules and unique visual vocabulary. From the material preparation of pigments, paper and brushes, to the techniques of drawing and painting, the course will introduce students to an alternative, non-Western, mode of art making.

Class Grid

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