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Howard Hodgkin in Conversation With Professor Rana Mitter
In the final weekend of the exhibition, take this rare opportunity to listen to the artist and collector, Howard Hodgkin in conversation with Rana Mitter, Presenter of BBC Radio 3’s Nightwaves and Professor of the History and Politics of Modern China, University of Oxford, talking about his outstanding collection of Mughal Indian Paintings.
Event 21 | April 11am - 12pm | Gallery 44 | Admission Free | No Booking Required, Spaces Limited | Tokens for seats will be available at 10am from the Information Desk
Visions of Mughal India: The Collection of Howard Hodgkin
Visions of Mughal India presents for the first time in its entirety the outstanding private collection of Indian paintings of one of the leading artists of our time, Howard Hodgkin.
Hodgkin has been a passionate collector of Indian paintings since his school days and his collection has long been considered one of the finest of its kind in the world. At times he has devoted almost as much effort to developing his collection as to his own work as a painter.
The collection above all is a personal one, formed by an artist’s eye. It comprises over 115 paintings from the Mughal period (c. 1550–1850), including the refined naturalistic works of the imperial Mughal court; the poetic and subtly coloured paintings of the Deccani Sultanates; and the boldly drawn and vibrantly coloured styles of the Rajput kingdoms of Rajasthan and the Punjab Hills. There are illustrations of epics, royal portraits, scenes of court life and hunting. There are studies of birds and flowers, and many outstanding paintings and drawings of elephants, a particular Hodgkin predilection.
"My collection has been seen before in an incomplete form but it’s since grown considerably. Now I’m struck all over again by its quality... I never bought paintings or drawings on the tempting but distracting basis of their topography, their school of art, their theme, period or style. I just wanted great art" said Howard Hodgkin.
Exhibition | Ends 22 April | Galleries 59 - 60 | Tickets: £6 / £4 Concessions