The Archive & Cabinet
Antique Indian Art, Photography & Decorative Arts

An online collection of works on paper, photography, and decorative arts from and related to South Asia.

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Featured Object

Peacock Form Incense Burner (Dhoopdan)

Deccan, South India
19th century

From The Archive & Cabinet

“The Drawing Before the Painting: Indian Drawings and the Artist’s Process”

Explore the vital role of drawing in Indian artistic practice, from Mughal and Pahari workshops to Rajasthan and the Deccan. Through preparatory studies, workshop sheets, portrait drawings, and independent works, the essay examines how artists used line to plan compositions, revise ideas, preserve models, and transmit visual traditions across generations.

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