Allumni-Fine Arts - Chandigarh

About Department of Art History & Visual Arts

The Department of Art History and Visual Arts in this University was established in 1962 and offers a post-graduate course (Semester System) and a Ph.D. programme in History of Art. Over the years it has emerged as an important centre of study and research in the region. This subject is offered only in a few universities in India and this department has made a significant mark by the way of academic contribution in terms of research and collaborative work. It is an excellent center for post-graduate studies and research with several facilities and resources that are available for the students and researchers to take benefit of. The departmental library and archival facilities such as, an image library, research journals and rare books on related subjects, are excellent and adjacent to the study area. The Master.s in History of Art is a programme structured to have international appeal as the course covers the history of art of Egypt, Middle East, Europe, America, South East Asia and Far East in addition to the history of Indian art and architecture. Because of this the department attracts students from different parts of the world.

The Museum of Fine Arts is an integral part of the department and it has a wonderful collection of about 1200 works by contemporary Indian artists.

VISION STATEMENT
Society means a heterogeneous community of people. The Department of Art History and Visual Arts has been putting in all possible endeavors and resources available to it to reach the goal of building an ideal society of gradual development and long time sustenance with interdisciplinary activities where faculty and students of the university and the public are invited to participate in lectures and demonstrations by artists, art historians and scholars from different disciplines. The focus, primarily, is on areas such as the art and architecture of North India, which includes Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, Iconography and Modern Indian Art. The mushrooming of galleries and emergence of art as investment have created a demand for the services of experts and professionals in various art related fields. The faculty is closely observing these developments and is preparing itself to meet the new challenges in the field of art. The Department of Art History and Visual Arts, Panjab University was established in the year 1962 by Shri Mulk Raj Anand, the eminent writer. The department offers Masters and Ph.D. degrees in History of Art. Masters in History of Art exists only in a few universities of this country and this department has made a mark among them all by way of academic contribution in terms of research and collaborative works. The department through its Ph.D research programme has contributed immensely towards a deeper understanding of unexamined areas in the subject of Art History. The focus of research has been primarily on art and architecture, Iconography and Modern Indian Art.

Special emphasis is laid on interdisciplinary activities through extension lectures and demonstrations by artists , art historians and scholars from different disciplines. The department can take pride in the fact it has never compromised with the quality of research and teaching and has tried to work towards the cultivation and refinement of the sensibilities of its students. The departmental library has an exclusive collection books and journals, along with documentaries on art in its collection.

MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS
Museum of Fine Arts, Panjab University is an integral part of the Department of Art History and Visual Arts. Inaugurated in 1968 it is the only University Museum in India which can take pride in having acquired around 1300 works of contemporary Indian art ? paintings, sculptures, graphics and drawings - since its inception. The museum has a collection of the works of important artists like Jamini Roy, Francis Souza, M.F. Husain, Satish Gujral, J. Swaminathan, Ram Kumar, A. Ramachandran, K.G. Subramanyan, Vivan Sundaram, Bhupen Khakhar, Dhanraj Bhagat, Dinanath Pathi, Arpana Caur, Sridhar Iyer and Shiv Singh to name a few.The Museum building, because of its architectural elegance, is one of the most important landmarks in the university campus and has been earmarked as a heritage building. Every year the museum organizes exhibitions independently and in collaboration with national and international agencies.

THRUST AREA

• Modern Indian Art
• Indian Aesthetics & Textual Sources
• Indian Architecture, Sculpture and Painting
• Art and Architecture of Punjab
• Western Art
• Southeast Asian Art