Salon at Sunset: At Home in the Indian Empire: Colonial Subjects in 18th-Century British Painting

Rienzi Center for European  Decorative Arts, MFAH presents Salon at Sunset: At Home in the Indian Empire: Colonial Subjects in 18th-Century British Painting. Presented by Betty Joseph, Rice University.

Treat yourself to an intellectual evening at Rienzi! Enjoy a tour of the collection at sunset, followed by a short lecture and group discussion. After the talk, guests are invited to a reception for social time over wine and light bites.

Paintings from British India shed light on one of the most significant cultural encounters of the 18th century: British colonial rule in the Indian subcontinent.

Such works of art include portraits of colonial officials; sketches of colonial settlements; conversation pieces of British families and their servants; portraits of Anglo-Indians; and illustrations produced by Indian artists for British officials.

What do these images say about the manner in which the colonizers saw themselves and the natives they ruled? What connections remain for colonial settlers to the home country they left behind?

Because the 18th century was a period of transition, the visual texts of the time uncover a fascinating array of sentiments that are both complex and contradictory.