
Drawn from Courtly India: The Conley Harris and Howard Truelove Collection
December 6, 2015 - March 27, 2016

Drawn from Courtly India: The Conley Harris and Howard Truelove Collection
December 6, 2015 - March 27, 2016
Glimpse life inside the royal courts of northern India in this eye-opening exhibition of drawings.
This exhibition presents masterful drawings from the royal courts of northern India. Lovingly amassed by artist Conley Harris and architectural designer Howard Truelove, the collection features practice sketches, preparatory drawings, subtly modeled scenes, and lightly colored compositions created between the 1500s and 1800s. With images at different stages of completion, the collection allows for a fascinating look at Indian workshop practice. Although the majority of the drawings served as studies for paintings, they are accomplished works of art in their own right.
Included are striking portraits, vivid battle scenes, illustrations of popular religious stories, and explorations of love. Gentle yet robust lines convey the creativity of workshop-trained artists with compelling immediacy—from the delicate shading of a ruler’s facial hair to the strong contours of a god’s upstretched arm in battle. Not only do these drawings highlight the artists’ expert handling of medium, they illuminate how workshops labored in artistic collaboration and transmitted skills from one generation to the next.
Drawings reveal what paintings conceal, and the works in this exhibition offer new ways of looking and thinking about the art of Indian drawing. By presenting works at distinct moments during the creative process, Drawn from Courtly India showcases how the Indian draftsman transformed a blank sheet of paper into a masterful work of art.
Multimedia
Artistic Collaboration in Courtly India

Curator Ainsley M. Cameron describes a technique used by artists’ workshops in courtly India.
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An Indian Drawing Comes to Life

See an Indian drawing of two archers slowly take shape through the skillful addition of line, shading, and color.
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Discover how Philly sign-painter Christian Cantiello created a mural inspired by Indian drawings.
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In this time-lapse video, witness the installation of Christian Cantiello’s colorful exhibition mural.
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