GLOBAL ART HISTORY 2025
Inspiration
for All: artists, practitioners, craftspeople, conservators,
students of art history, travellers, readers, thinkers,
and the simply curious.
NEW ONLINE LECTURE SERIES FOR AUTUMN 2025
EARLY ISLAMIC ART
A series of four online lectures covering decorative arts under the early Islamic Caliphates.
Following the death in 632 CE. of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), the Islamic world expanded rapidly under the early Caliphs, absorbing the territories and material culture of the Persian and Byzantine Empires of late antiquity. With the instatement of the ‘Abbassid Caliphs in 750 CE. we begin to see the early development of this cultural syncretism into an emerging and over-arching visual language that defined the Islamic world.
In this lecture series, we will look at material evidence from first seven centuries of the Islamic world, focusing on four key areas of artistic endeavour: architectural design, ceramics, metalwork, and the arts of the book.
To find out more about each lecture and how to register to attend,
click on the images below to be taken to Eventbrite.
The lectures take place on Zoom, 6.00 pm. - 8.00 pm. UK time
Price: £15.87 per lecture
Ceramics Tell Their Stories
Thursday 16th October 2025 at 18.00 BST
Click on image for more
Marvels of Metalwork
Thursday 30th October 2025 at 18.00 GMT
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The Art of the Qur'an
Thursday 6th November 2025 at 18.00 GMT
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Abbassid Caliphs and the Lost Links
Thursday 13th November 2025 at 18.00 BST (Rescheduled to this date)
Click on image for more
Time Conversions: The Zoom lectures are transmitted from London, UK.
If you are located out of the UK, please check your local time conversion.
Bear in mind that after the 26th October, British time reverts to GMT,
i.e. the clocks go back by one hour.
V&A "HOW WAS IT MADE" VIDEO
The V&A commissioned film maker Noemi Varga to make this YouTube video of me demonstrating how mineral pigments were prepared in the the Mughal ateliers for manuscripts and paintings.
This video accompanied the V&A exhibition "The Great Mughals: Art, Architecture and Opulence" which ran from November 2024 to May 2025
What past students have commented:
"It was outstanding - excellent tutor - so interesting, knowledgeable, engaging".
"The tutor and course were both outstanding".
"The resources were beautiful to look at and very informative too".
Available to commission for public or private lectures.
Subject Areas:
Islamic Art History
Pigments and Processes
Illumination and Arts of the Book
Art and Design in the Indian Subcontinent
Synergies between East and West
Art and Science
For Current Available Lectures please consult the
ARCHIVES
To make an inquiry or discuss a project please get in touch:
via the contact page
E-mail: amchowdry@gmail.com
mobile phone: +44 (0) 7521 897782