"India" in Britain

What kinds of mixing happens in British and Indian architecture during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries? Who does the mixing, and for whom? Is this hybridity on equal terms, and if not, how is it hybrid? We've seen several different examples that illustrate the spread of European architecture to India, the use of Indian forms in Britain, and the mixture of British and Indian in both India and Britain. The question is, why all this mixing? Was it just to experiment, for fun? Or, could there be something more to it?

Click on the image for a close-up
Royal Pavilion at Brighton, England
John Nash, 1815-23

Click on the image for a close-up
Albert Hall, Jaipur, India
Swinton-Jacob, 1898

Whenever you study architecture, make sure that you are aware of the context within which the building was built. This means the historical context, geographical context, political context, patronage context, and artistic context (among other things). The title for this unit is Britain/India: Appropriation, Expansion, Colonization. How do these buildings illustrate each of those terms? What kinds of political messages do they convey to the viewer? Who are the patrons in each case, and how does that effect the way you read the buildings?
India has been independent since 1947. How might these buildings be read within the context of independent India? Does their message change in that context? Think about these issues and others as you review this material; we've also put together some further things to think about so you can get more in-depth in your analysis.

Neo-Classical Architecture
Britain | India | B&I Neo-Gothic Architecture
Britain | India | B&I

Hybridity in Architecture
India in Britain | British/Indian in India | Hybridity

© 1998. Created by Rebecca M. Brown. Last updated 4/18/98.

	What kinds of mixing happens in British and Indian architecture during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries? Who does the mixing, and for whom? Is this hybridity on equal terms, and if not, how is it hybrid? We've seen several different examples that illustrate the spread of European architecture to India, the use of Indian forms in Britain, and the mixture of British and Indian in both India and Britain. The question is, why all this mixing? Was it just to experiment, for fun? Or, could there be something more to it?
	Click on the image for a close-up Royal Pavilion at Brighton, England John Nash, 1815-23	Click on the image for a close-up Albert Hall, Jaipur, India Swinton-Jacob, 1898
	Whenever you study architecture, make sure that you are aware of the context within which the building was built. This means the historical context, geographical context, political context, patronage context, and artistic context (among other things). The title for this unit is Britain/India: Appropriation, Expansion, Colonization. How do these buildings illustrate each of those terms? What kinds of political messages do they convey to the viewer? Who are the patrons in each case, and how does that effect the way you read the buildings? India has been independent since 1947. How might these buildings be read within the context of independent India? Does their message change in that context? Think about these issues and others as you review this material; we've also put together some further things to think about so you can get more in-depth in your analysis.