Picturing the Unknown: Cultural Encounters and Visual Representations in Company Paintings from the eighteenth and nineteenth Centuries in south Indian Collections of the National Museum of Denmark. V/ Laura Berivan Nilsson

Esther Fihl

Picturing the Unknown: Cultural Encounters and Visual Representations in Company Paintings from the eighteenth and nineteenth Centuries in south Indian Collections of the National Museum of Denmark. V/ Laura Berivan Nilsson

Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies

Abstract

English abstract:
During the eighteen and nineteenth centuries various European
East Indian Companies came to India in the pursued of trade.
Also Denmark had a trading post from 1620 to 1845 in Tranquebar
situated on the Coromandel Coast and belonging to the king
of Tanjore in south India. This article explores the tradition of
Company Paintings of Tanjore: a tradition that was developed in
the meeting between a European demand for visual documentation
to depicture the new and exotic land they were visiting and
local Indian artists and painting traditions. This article investigates
the many Company Paintings that were collected by Danish
governors and travellers and now a part of the collections in the
National Museum of Denmark. In the article I present the Danish
collectors of Company Paintings, the local Indian artists and their
painting techniques, and the ruler of Tanjore, Raja Serfoji II, and
his great interest in art and science. This article discusses that
the development of the Tanjore Company Painting tradition was
not only promoted by the various East Indian Companies in south
India, as earlier studies of the Company Painting tradition argues.
I suggest that the local Indian elite, especially Serfoji II, also
had a visionary interest in promoting a hybrid form of IndianEuropean
paintings. Finally the article presents a catalogue with
descriptions of selected paintings hosted by the National Museum
of Denmark.

Dansk abstrakt:
I løbet af det attende og nittende århundrede udsendtes folk fra
adskillige europæiske ostindiske kompagnier til Indien med det
formål at handle. Også Danmark havde fra 1620 til 1845 på den
indiske Coromandel-kyst en handelsstation i byen Tranquebar,
som hørte under kongen af Tanjores herredømme i Sydindien.
Denne artikel udforsker kompagnimaleritraditionen i Tanjore: en
tradition som blev udviklet i mødet mellem lokale indiske kunstnere
og kunsttraditioner og en europæisk efterspørgsel efter
visuel dokumentation, som kunne illustrere det nye og eksotiske
land, europæerne var ankommet til. Der fokuseres på de mange
kompagnimalerier, som blev indsamlet af danske guvernører og
rejsende, og som nu i Danmark er en del af Nationalmuseets samlinger.
Jeg præsenterer de danske indsamlere af kompagnimalerier,
de lokale indiske kunstnere og deres teknikker, samt kongen af
Tanjore, Raja Serfoji II, og hans store interesse for kunst og videnskab.
Det diskuteres, hvorvidt udviklingen af kompagnimalerier
fra Tanjore udelukkende var fremskyndet af de forskellige ostindiske
kompagnier i Sydindien, som tidligere studier af kompagnimaleritraditionen
har argumenteret for. Som kommentar hertil
foreslår jeg, at den lokale indiske elite, og især Serfoji II, også
havde en visionær interesse i at promovere en hybrid form for
indisk-europæiske malerier. Afslutningsvis præsenterer artiklen et
katalog med beskrivelser af udvalgte kompagnibilleder, som er en
del af Nationalmuseets samlinger.

Original language	English

Place of Publication	Copenhagen
Publisher	Nationalmuseets Tranquebar Initiativ
Volume	11
Number of pages	48
ISBN (Print)	978-87-7602-171-9
ISBN (Electronic)	978-87-7602-172-6
Publication status	Published - 2015

Series	Tranquebar Initiativets Skriftserie

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https://en.natmus.dk/fileadmin/user_upload/natmus/forskning/dokumenter/Tranquebar/Skriftserie/11._Nilsson__Laura__2015__Picturing_the_Unknown.pdfLicence: Unspecified

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Fihl, E. (Ed.) (2015). Picturing the Unknown: Cultural Encounters and Visual Representations in Company Paintings from the eighteenth and nineteenth Centuries in south Indian Collections of the National Museum of Denmark. V/ Laura Berivan Nilsson. Nationalmuseets Tranquebar Initiativ. Tranquebar Initiativets Skriftserie https://en.natmus.dk/fileadmin/user_upload/natmus/forskning/dokumenter/Tranquebar/Skriftserie/11._Nilsson__Laura__2015__Picturing_the_Unknown.pdf

Picturing the Unknown : Cultural Encounters and Visual Representations in Company Paintings from the eighteenth and nineteenth Centuries in south Indian Collections of the National Museum of Denmark. V/ Laura Berivan Nilsson. / Fihl, Esther (Editor).

Copenhagen : Nationalmuseets Tranquebar Initiativ, 2015. 48 p. (Tranquebar Initiativets Skriftserie).

Research output: Book/Report › Book › Research › peer-review

Fihl, E (ed.) 2015, Picturing the Unknown: Cultural Encounters and Visual Representations in Company Paintings from the eighteenth and nineteenth Centuries in south Indian Collections of the National Museum of Denmark. V/ Laura Berivan Nilsson. Tranquebar Initiativets Skriftserie, vol. 11, Nationalmuseets Tranquebar Initiativ, Copenhagen. <https://en.natmus.dk/fileadmin/user_upload/natmus/forskning/dokumenter/Tranquebar/Skriftserie/11._Nilsson__Laura__2015__Picturing_the_Unknown.pdf>

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abstract = "English abstract:During the eighteen and nineteenth centuries various EuropeanEast Indian Companies came to India in the pursued of trade.Also Denmark had a trading post from 1620 to 1845 in Tranquebarsituated on the Coromandel Coast and belonging to the kingof Tanjore in south India. This article explores the tradition ofCompany Paintings of Tanjore: a tradition that was developed inthe meeting between a European demand for visual documentationto depicture the new and exotic land they were visiting andlocal Indian artists and painting traditions. This article investigatesthe many Company Paintings that were collected by Danishgovernors and travellers and now a part of the collections in theNational Museum of Denmark. In the article I present the Danishcollectors of Company Paintings, the local Indian artists and theirpainting techniques, and the ruler of Tanjore, Raja Serfoji II, andhis great interest in art and science. This article discusses thatthe development of the Tanjore Company Painting tradition wasnot only promoted by the various East Indian Companies in southIndia, as earlier studies of the Company Painting tradition argues.I suggest that the local Indian elite, especially Serfoji II, alsohad a visionary interest in promoting a hybrid form of IndianEuropeanpaintings. Finally the article presents a catalogue withdescriptions of selected paintings hosted by the National Museumof Denmark.Dansk abstrakt:I l{\o}bet af det attende og nittende {\aa}rhundrede udsendtes folk fraadskillige europ{\ae}iske ostindiske kompagnier til Indien med detform{\aa}l at handle. Ogs{\aa} Danmark havde fra 1620 til 1845 p{\aa} denindiske Coromandel-kyst en handelsstation i byen Tranquebar,som h{\o}rte under kongen af Tanjores herred{\o}mme i Sydindien.Denne artikel udforsker kompagnimaleritraditionen i Tanjore: entradition som blev udviklet i m{\o}det mellem lokale indiske kunstnereog kunsttraditioner og en europ{\ae}isk eftersp{\o}rgsel eftervisuel dokumentation, som kunne illustrere det nye og eksotiskeland, europ{\ae}erne var ankommet til. Der fokuseres p{\aa} de mangekompagnimalerier, som blev indsamlet af danske guvern{\o}rer ogrejsende, og som nu i Danmark er en del af Nationalmuseets samlinger.Jeg pr{\ae}senterer de danske indsamlere af kompagnimalerier,de lokale indiske kunstnere og deres teknikker, samt kongen afTanjore, Raja Serfoji II, og hans store interesse for kunst og videnskab.Det diskuteres, hvorvidt udviklingen af kompagnimalerierfra Tanjore udelukkende var fremskyndet af de forskellige ostindiskekompagnier i Sydindien, som tidligere studier af kompagnimaleritraditionenhar argumenteret for. Som kommentar hertilforesl{\aa}r jeg, at den lokale indiske elite, og is{\ae}r Serfoji II, ogs{\aa}havde en vision{\ae}r interesse i at promovere en hybrid form forindisk-europ{\ae}iske malerier. Afslutningsvis pr{\ae}senterer artiklen etkatalog med beskrivelser af udvalgte kompagnibilleder, som er endel af Nationalmuseets samlinger. ",

editor = "Esther Fihl",

year = "2015",

language = "English",

isbn = "978-87-7602-171-9",

volume = "11",

series = "Tranquebar Initiativets Skriftserie",

publisher = "Nationalmuseets Tranquebar Initiativ",

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T1 - Picturing the Unknown

T2 - Cultural Encounters and Visual Representations in Company Paintings from the eighteenth and nineteenth Centuries in south Indian Collections of the National Museum of Denmark. V/ Laura Berivan Nilsson

A2 - Fihl, Esther

PY - 2015

Y1 - 2015

N2 - English abstract:During the eighteen and nineteenth centuries various EuropeanEast Indian Companies came to India in the pursued of trade.Also Denmark had a trading post from 1620 to 1845 in Tranquebarsituated on the Coromandel Coast and belonging to the kingof Tanjore in south India. This article explores the tradition ofCompany Paintings of Tanjore: a tradition that was developed inthe meeting between a European demand for visual documentationto depicture the new and exotic land they were visiting andlocal Indian artists and painting traditions. This article investigatesthe many Company Paintings that were collected by Danishgovernors and travellers and now a part of the collections in theNational Museum of Denmark. In the article I present the Danishcollectors of Company Paintings, the local Indian artists and theirpainting techniques, and the ruler of Tanjore, Raja Serfoji II, andhis great interest in art and science. This article discusses thatthe development of the Tanjore Company Painting tradition wasnot only promoted by the various East Indian Companies in southIndia, as earlier studies of the Company Painting tradition argues.I suggest that the local Indian elite, especially Serfoji II, alsohad a visionary interest in promoting a hybrid form of IndianEuropeanpaintings. Finally the article presents a catalogue withdescriptions of selected paintings hosted by the National Museumof Denmark.Dansk abstrakt:I løbet af det attende og nittende århundrede udsendtes folk fraadskillige europæiske ostindiske kompagnier til Indien med detformål at handle. Også Danmark havde fra 1620 til 1845 på denindiske Coromandel-kyst en handelsstation i byen Tranquebar,som hørte under kongen af Tanjores herredømme i Sydindien.Denne artikel udforsker kompagnimaleritraditionen i Tanjore: entradition som blev udviklet i mødet mellem lokale indiske kunstnereog kunsttraditioner og en europæisk efterspørgsel eftervisuel dokumentation, som kunne illustrere det nye og eksotiskeland, europæerne var ankommet til. Der fokuseres på de mangekompagnimalerier, som blev indsamlet af danske guvernører ogrejsende, og som nu i Danmark er en del af Nationalmuseets samlinger.Jeg præsenterer de danske indsamlere af kompagnimalerier,de lokale indiske kunstnere og deres teknikker, samt kongen afTanjore, Raja Serfoji II, og hans store interesse for kunst og videnskab.Det diskuteres, hvorvidt udviklingen af kompagnimalerierfra Tanjore udelukkende var fremskyndet af de forskellige ostindiskekompagnier i Sydindien, som tidligere studier af kompagnimaleritraditionenhar argumenteret for. Som kommentar hertilforeslår jeg, at den lokale indiske elite, og især Serfoji II, ogsåhavde en visionær interesse i at promovere en hybrid form forindisk-europæiske malerier. Afslutningsvis præsenterer artiklen etkatalog med beskrivelser af udvalgte kompagnibilleder, som er endel af Nationalmuseets samlinger.

AB - English abstract:During the eighteen and nineteenth centuries various EuropeanEast Indian Companies came to India in the pursued of trade.Also Denmark had a trading post from 1620 to 1845 in Tranquebarsituated on the Coromandel Coast and belonging to the kingof Tanjore in south India. This article explores the tradition ofCompany Paintings of Tanjore: a tradition that was developed inthe meeting between a European demand for visual documentationto depicture the new and exotic land they were visiting andlocal Indian artists and painting traditions. This article investigatesthe many Company Paintings that were collected by Danishgovernors and travellers and now a part of the collections in theNational Museum of Denmark. In the article I present the Danishcollectors of Company Paintings, the local Indian artists and theirpainting techniques, and the ruler of Tanjore, Raja Serfoji II, andhis great interest in art and science. This article discusses thatthe development of the Tanjore Company Painting tradition wasnot only promoted by the various East Indian Companies in southIndia, as earlier studies of the Company Painting tradition argues.I suggest that the local Indian elite, especially Serfoji II, alsohad a visionary interest in promoting a hybrid form of IndianEuropeanpaintings. Finally the article presents a catalogue withdescriptions of selected paintings hosted by the National Museumof Denmark.Dansk abstrakt:I løbet af det attende og nittende århundrede udsendtes folk fraadskillige europæiske ostindiske kompagnier til Indien med detformål at handle. Også Danmark havde fra 1620 til 1845 på denindiske Coromandel-kyst en handelsstation i byen Tranquebar,som hørte under kongen af Tanjores herredømme i Sydindien.Denne artikel udforsker kompagnimaleritraditionen i Tanjore: entradition som blev udviklet i mødet mellem lokale indiske kunstnereog kunsttraditioner og en europæisk efterspørgsel eftervisuel dokumentation, som kunne illustrere det nye og eksotiskeland, europæerne var ankommet til. Der fokuseres på de mangekompagnimalerier, som blev indsamlet af danske guvernører ogrejsende, og som nu i Danmark er en del af Nationalmuseets samlinger.Jeg præsenterer de danske indsamlere af kompagnimalerier,de lokale indiske kunstnere og deres teknikker, samt kongen afTanjore, Raja Serfoji II, og hans store interesse for kunst og videnskab.Det diskuteres, hvorvidt udviklingen af kompagnimalerierfra Tanjore udelukkende var fremskyndet af de forskellige ostindiskekompagnier i Sydindien, som tidligere studier af kompagnimaleritraditionenhar argumenteret for. Som kommentar hertilforeslår jeg, at den lokale indiske elite, og især Serfoji II, ogsåhavde en visionær interesse i at promovere en hybrid form forindisk-europæiske malerier. Afslutningsvis præsenterer artiklen etkatalog med beskrivelser af udvalgte kompagnibilleder, som er endel af Nationalmuseets samlinger.

UR - https://en.natmus.dk/historical-knowledge/historical-knowledge-the-world/asia/india/tranquebar/

M3 - Book

SN - 978-87-7602-171-9

VL - 11

T3 - Tranquebar Initiativets Skriftserie

BT - Picturing the Unknown

PB - Nationalmuseets Tranquebar Initiativ

CY - Copenhagen

ER -

Picturing the Unknown: Cultural Encounters and Visual Representations in Company Paintings from the eighteenth and nineteenth Centuries in south Indian Collections of the National Museum of Denmark. V/ Laura Berivan Nilsson

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