The Art Collection at Adyar
has works from artists around the world.
Currently our conservation project is focused on around 100 works primarily derived from the modern Indian art movement propelled by the Bengal School, Tamilian painters, and the portrait paintings of the acclaimed Australian painter Florence Ada Füller (1867- 1946).
The collection is mainly composed of figurative pieces in mid-scale and tempera on cardboard. The restoration of the painting Collection within the Theosophical Society Adyar is set to be a catalyst to revive the interest in art in the Theosophical community while inspiring artists to visit and create artwork on campus.
This project not only showcases the cultural and spiritual contribution of the Theosophical Society to art in India, but also preserves the cultural heritage of the TS and India.
Historical influence
Theosophy has had a historical influence on the evolvement of new artistic movements. On one hand, Thought Forms (1905), a book co-authored by Annie Besant and Charles W. Leadbeater, anticipated all the 20th century abstraction movement in the West. On the other hand, Theosophical Society in Adyar had significant exchanges with the modern Indian art movements that unfolded in the first half of the twentieth century through the efforts of its members, including James H. Cousins and Venkatachalam.