225. Painting the Empire: Art of the East India Company (Ep 1)

Empire

Jack Davenport

History

4.6 • 4.1K Ratings

🗓️ 30 January 2025

⏱️ 43 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Company School painting is a fascinating yet often overlooked artistic tradition that emerged during the British East India Company’s rule in India. Indian artists blended Mughal, Rajput, and European styles to create detailed and vibrant artworks focused on flora and fauna. What makes these paintings extraordinary is how they capture not only scientific precision but also the rich artistic traditions of India. At the heart of this story is the city of Lucknow, a hub of artistic and cultural refinement, where European imperialists like Claude Martin sought to document India’s natural world. Martin, a French adventurer-turned-British officer, was so committed to this project that he imported thousands of sheets of European watercolour paper and assembled a team of Indian artists to create meticulous botanical and zoological illustrations. But as much as these paintings were a product of imperialism, they also provided an unprecedented opportunity for Indian artists to leave a lasting impression. Unlike earlier court art, which often left artists anonymous, Company School paintings are some of the first works where individual Indian painters were credited by name. Listen as William and Anita unravel the intricate web of art, science, and empire, revealing a world where botanical illustrations were not just scientific tools, but also symbols of a rapidly changing society. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Assistant Producer: Becki Hills Producer: Anouska Lewis Senior Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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1:41.4	Hello and welcome to Empire with me, Anitanhann and me William Durampal.
1:47.6	You're doing that thing of leaning right in and bellowing at people. Just chill, man. There we go.
1:53.1	God's sake. Just, you know what? I'm very excited. You're full of Vim and Viguer because you've come off a flight and you've just had such fun telling me who you were sitting next to. So who were you sitting next to you on the flight that just got in?
2:04.4	Well, I have to say, I didn't recognize him and he was sort of under a baseball cap sort of hiding his face.
	...

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