In the late 19th century, the soaring entrance tower (gopuram) of the Sucindram temple became a site of intriguing artistic experimentation. While South Indian murals traditionally served as a kind of mise-en-scène, providing both visual and intellectual background for the rituals and events that occurred before them, the murals of Sucindram represent a striking departure. Executed to resemble framed European oil paintings, complete with trompe-l’oeil nails and golden picture frames, these works innovate murals by responding to the many new forms of art and styles that emerged in the late colonial period.

This talk explores how these fascinating paintings drew inspiration from the burgeoning world of studio photography and the spectacle of Parsi theater, as well as incorporated royal visual culture and the dance-drama of Kathakali. Located in the historic princely state of Travancore, these murals are more than mere decoration; they are a visual record of a culture in transition. By examining the way divine subjects are “staged,” we uncover how 19th-century artists used the temple walls to reflect, and reflect upon, the sweeping social and political changes of the late colonial period.

Anna Lise Seastrand is Associate Professor of Art History at the University of Minnesota and Early Modern History Professor & Union Pacific Trustee for Early Modern Studies. Her research explores the multisensory experience of painting within the sacred and ritual spaces of South Asia. She is the author of Body, History, Myth: Early Modern Murals in South India (2024), which draws on visual and inscriptional evidence to offer a novel account of religious and social histories of southeastern India, the interplay between oral and written texts, and the body in motion. The work has received significant acclaim, including the 2025 Religion and the Arts Book Prize from the American Academy of Religion and a 2026 Honorable Mention for the Bernard S. Cohn Book Prize from the Association for Asian Studies. Dr. Seastrand earned her PhD with Distinction from Columbia University and previously served as a Collegiate Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago.