In the mid-eighteenth century, the East India Company established its first-ever military base at Madras. As its army grew, the Company developed into a political power.
In her illustrated talk, "From Madras to London: East India Company Artworks in the 18th Century", art historian Dr Jennifer Howes examines artworks and buildings that the East India Company commissioned in the late eighteenth century, both at Madras and in London, which chart this transformation. These paintings, sculptures and buildings provide a unique framework for understanding the history of Madras Presidency.
About the Speaker:
Dr Jennifer Howes is a UK based Art Historian who writes about South Asia and colonialism. Her work connects archival sources with art to narrate new approaches to colonial history. She curates and advises on exhibitions, academic publications and other projects.
Her most recent book, “The Art of a Corporation”, examines the East India Company through the lens of paintings, sculptures and buildings in London.
Originally from Canada, Dr Howes received her doctorate in Art & Archaeology from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Her first book, The Courts of Pre-Colonial South India, is based on her PhD thesis.
Dr Howes worked in the British Library's India Office Collections for 15 years, first as a British Academy post-doctoral scholar, then as Curator of Prints and Drawings. Her second book, Illustrating India: The Early Colonial Investigations of Colin Mackenzie, was a British Library-supported project funded by the John Paul Getty Foundation and the British Academy.