Appreciation of Indian Painting

Many books have been written to help connoisseurs navigate the wonders of Indian Painting. The early influential (but dated) "The Dance of Shiva" by Ananda K. Coomaraswamy & the concise "Indian Painting" by C. Sivaramamurti are early examples.

M. S. Randhawa also produced learned monographs, especially on Kangra School, but they are hard to find & expensive. The first comprehensive exhaustive book on Ragamala Paintings (an enchanting, unique branch of Indian Miniature Painting) was painstakingly researched & produced by Klaus Ebeling.

More recently, B. N. Goswamy has contributed notably to the genre, his magnum opus probably being the magisterial "The Spirit of Indian Painting", printed by Penguin Books in an edition, luckily subsidised by certain organisations. Dr.Daljeet has also produced many volumes, notably "Ragachitra" dealing with Ragamala Paintings. The latest to join the shelves is Vijay Sharma's "Paintings of the Kangra Valley", an opulent book.

Mention should also be made of Niyogi books who are printing & publishing many of the above books at an affordable price.