Serendipity: Gods and Gazes

Gods and Gazes

We are grateful to Sunil Kant Munjal for contribution towards this project. This exhibition showcases works from the Company School, a term for paintings made by Indian artists for European patrons between the mid-18th and early 20th centuries. Executed on paper or mica, these images offer a colonial lens on Indian life, professions, rituals, and mythology, reflecting the cultural interplay and aesthetic hybridity of the time.

The featured watercolors come from a 99-page album in the distinct Tanjore style - marked by vivid colours, intricate figures, and devotional themes. Also held in the V&A collection, the album includes depictions of gods such as Agni (god of fire), Vayu (god of wind), and Krishna, capturing the richness of the Hindu pantheon.

Reimagined for Symphony Hall as lightbox installations, these works are transformed from delicate originals into luminous encounters. The exhibition invites viewers to reflect on the layered histories within these images and the enduring role of art in shaping colonial narratives.