A Secret Garden

Paintings from the Indian subcontinent bedazzle the viewer with their minute details, colors and aesthetic qualities. Relatively modest in size, they often illustrate historical events, religious texts and poetry, or document life at court. Painted with water-solved pigments on paper, they invite for closer observation and allow insight into the artistic traditions of India.

A Secret Garden is the name of an outstanding private collection of Indian paintings. It comprises works spanning seven centuries from the time of the Sultans (1206-1526) through to the nineteenth century. This new book features a selection of 105 artworks from Danielle Porret's collection. Each entry provides a stylistic analysis of the painting as well as a discussion of the subject matter by leading experts in the field of Indian painting.

The book is published to coincide with an exhibition at the Museum Rietberg Zürich in spring 2014.