Can one write a ‘visual history’ of the family? This article is a preliminary attempt to explore the relationship between visuals and history and how this is configured in relation to an institution like the family. By examining a diverse set of Indian images, ranging from Company art, Kalighat prints, realist portraiture and some photography, I wish to problematise the relationship between representation and history. A chief interest in this exploration is to see how the visual effects exceed the illustrative, and how that transforms our understanding of the ‘subject’ in question, in this instance, understanding the family conceptually.
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