ABSTRACT
The ten chapters collected in this book manifest the current global interest in trans-border dialogues and trace the origins and development of Italian and Bengali internationalisms in the period from the mid-19th to the early 20th century. Despite having differing political statuses and lacking a shared geographical or historical space, Bengal and Italy remained uniquely connected and, at times, actively sought to transcend different kinds of constraints in their search for a significant dialogue and mutual enrichment in the fields of literature, music, architecture, art, cinema, diplomacy, entrepreneurship, travels, education and intellectual engagement. In this context, the volume confronts strategies of evaluation adopted by prominent representatives of the Bengali and Italian cultural environments with particular emphasis on readings embedded in the moment of contact. Both regions benefitted from this ‘elective affinity’ as they advanced along their respective paths towards a fuller awareness of their specific identity, and thus set a positive example of transcultural understanding which may inspire today’s world.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part 1|66 pages
Encounters in Words and Sounds
part 2|60 pages
Encounters in Shapes and Images
chapter 5|20 pages
The Italian Connection to Indian Art in Calcutta
part 3|81 pages
Encounters Through Experience
chapter 7|19 pages
Italy and the Discovery of India
chapter 8|17 pages
“The Italian … who comes here to try his luck … only deals in trade”
part |6 pages
Postscript