226. The Rise and Fall of East India Company Painting (Ep 2)

The podcast explores the intertwined histories of Calcutta, Lucknow, and the East India Company through the lens of art, botany, and cultural exchange. It highlights Sir Elijah Impey and his wife, Lady Impey’s, contributions to zoological drawing, focusing on the Indian artists they commissioned, such as Sheikh Zayn al-Din, Bhawani Das, and Ram Das, and their detailed depictions of animals in Lady Impey’s menagerie. William Jones and the Asiatic Society of Bengal are discussed as catalysts for the study of Indian culture and the establishment of the Calcutta Botanic Garden. The conversation traces the shift in artistic styles from Mughal to European influences, reflecting broader changes in British attitudes towards India and its artistic traditions.