The remnants of our colonial past also include a chronicle of creations by Indian artists. Company Painting — a collective term for artworks produced by Indian artists undertaken in a European style and palette — is reimagined from an outsider’s perspective. The hybrid Indian art, however, is also a slice of our history.
The recently-unveiled exhibition titled ‘Birds Of India: Company Paintings c.1800 To 1835’ is an attempt to showcase the works of Indian masters commissioned by the East India Company in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Currently ongoing at the art company DAG, The Claridges, this first-of-its-kind exhibit features 125 avian paintings. The archives are from various albums namely Cunninghame Graham, the c. 1810 album of birds from north-east India, the Faber album from c. 1830, and the 1835 Edward Inge album.
Talking about Company Painting, curator Dr. Giles Tillotson, Senior VP Exhibitions and Publications at DAG, says, “Back then, Indian artists were adapting to a new market by Europeans who were in the East India Company. The residents [non-Indians] turned to Indian artists for images to understand the flora and fauna.”
Curating these paintings, created using watercolour on paper, was no easy feat. Dr Tillotson explains, “The challenge really was to identify the birds correctly. The main album was produced between 1800 and 1804 (Cunninghame Graham). The artists painted these birds by observing them in the field. This was way before taxidermy existed.” Noting that a few caged birds might have played muse to these painters, Dr Tillotson continues, “Most birds might not have been caged.
So, it probably would have been difficult for them to observe the birds and paint them.” With Urdu local names of the birds inscribed on these artworks, the collector probably tried to match the English name by referencing a book titled A General Synopsis of Birds published by John Latham. Dr Tillotson explains, “This was during a rudimentary stage of scientific investigation of birds. Either the artist observing the birds or the collector could have made minor mistakes.”
Curious, we asked if there were any paintings of extinct birds displayed here. Dr Tillotson says, “The rarest bird depicted is the Little Bustard. It was rare then and is rare now. None of the birds included are now extinct. Some are rare, and might be more difficult to see now because of urbanisation than they were 200 years ago.”
The exhibition, which is on till October 6, is definitely one for nature lovers. An avian enthusiast himself, Dr Tillotson concludes, “My guess is, it will appeal to people who are interested in both birds and history.”