Lahore in the V&A Collections: Exploring the arts of the Mughal and Sikh capital city

Susan Stronge takes us on a fascinating journey in which she highlights the exquisite objects which mark the artistry and creativity in the history of Lahore.

Susan Stronge

Susan Stronge is a Senior Curator in the Asian Department of the Victoria and Albert Museum. She is the award-winning curator of The Arts of the Sikh Kingdoms exhibition, but her main focus is Mughal court culture, about which she has written several books and many articles. Her interests merge in this talk about the rich diversity of artistic production in the Mughal and Sikh capital, Lahore.
From Lahore under the Mughals, when Emperor Akbar moved the Mughal court to the city, making it a place of new artistic practices and production to Akbar's son Jahangir, who made architectural changes in Lahore and then onto the end of the Mughal empire. From there to the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who helped to build up and revive the city and its artistic industries (e.g. reconstruction of the Lahore Fort and the armouries). Finally, she will cover the British annexation of the Punjab right through to the present day contemporary artists at the National College of Arts in Lahore.
You May also be interested in:

Davinder Toor

Davinder Toor, a leading figure among a new generation of Sikh, Indian, and Islamic art collectors and the guest curator of The Wallace Collection, joined Amandeep Madra in our 2024 series of talks. They explored the life of the great Sikh leader Ranjit Singh through historical objects from his court, courtiers, and family, including items owned by the Maharaja and the most famous of his 30 wives, Maharani Jind Kaur.

William Dalrymple

The Anarchy:the Relentless Rise of the East India Company' William Dalrymple in conversation with actor and filmmaker, Jassa Ahluwalia

Susan Stronge

Susan Stronge takes us on a fascinating journey in which she highlights the exquisite objects which mark the artistry and creativity in the history of Lahore.

Haroon Khalid

Haroon Khalid joined the UKPHA Bookclub to talk about his book ‘In Search of Shiva: A Study of Folk Religious Practices in Pakistan.’

See All Events