Paintings of Company School
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The artist’s rendering was realistic yet static, set against a clear backdrop with human figures portrayed in a way it looks rigid and insentient, painted as detailed diagram and when the subject is natural history, specimen rendering was meticulous. To define the important features these are the prime elements one shall find in Company painting. A distinct form of painting produced by the Indian local artists, which definitively mark the transition during the eighteenth and early nineteenth century, a metamorphosis from an indigenous Indian school of painting to a unique Indo-European hybrid style of distinction. Due to the simple reason that during 1700’s, technology was not available as we see and access these days while creating and storing pieces of history for the future. Not everyone who set foot or started living here from the west was a painter, the reason why Europeans, predominantly British used to hire artists, mostly painters from India to perform tasks of painting on their behalf. This genre of painting is collectively called ‘Company Paintings’, and this art was naturally influenced by the European style and palette, not to mention- executed by local Indian painters.
In the eighteenth century, with the ever-extending purview of British East India Company in India, it became a necessity for the company to have more British employees to work for the company, in order to expand business and to extend that influence in ruling the newly occupied land. Out of absolute necessity to safeguard their interest, the British East India Company required gathering of in depth knowledge, understanding about India, British Company recruited vast number of employees, and these employees were relocated to India to start a new life and carrier in the new land. Once relocated, this British workforce started exploring India with a mission in mind. They have accumulated substantial quantity of information, categorized and rationalized them to facilitate the process of knowing the country and population. Appropriation of knowledge came in various forms: text translation from different Indian languages, in depth study of Hindu Laws and Hinduism, extensive survey of the Indians, the land, geography, agriculture, archaeology and architecture. All of these was executed in either textual or in visual format. Company paintings played the major role in visual representation as commissioning of these paintings- created in the style in accordance with the Company School, filled the void these Europeans had owing to their perceived lack of understanding in traditional Indian Painting due to ‘Western Biased Knowledge’ and lack of knowledge about India in general. Traditionally Indian school of Miniature paintings are extremely detailed, in vivid colors and with finest lines to delineate the courtly life of the royals, characters from religion and of legends as chosen subjects. The British on the other hand, wanted their own lives in India as subject, the details about neighborhood and native mass, places and events surrounding them to be recorded on a medium in a way they, the British and Europeans can understand and appreciate. As these Europeans were well versed in using watercolor, miniature paintings according to them lacked the suavity like- realism, perspective, proportion and the use of light and shed which they could relish and understand due to their training.
Accn. No.-02099 | Portraits
Company School | Ink on paper | 14.3 X 19.5 cms
Accn. No.-02141 | Sketch of a seated person
Company School | Ink and water color on paper | 17.5 X 26.2 cms
Accn. No.-02263 | Jadu Pot painting
Company School | Watercolor on paper | 19 X 30 cms
Accn. No.-02274 | Painting
Company School | Tempera on paper | 9 X 14 cms
Accn. No.-02353 | Untitled
Company School | Tempera on paper | 19.7 X 25.2 cms
Accn. No.-ngma-02357 | Untitled
Company School | Pencil and water color on paper | 12.5 X 15 cms
Accn. No.-14729 | Mohman Khaun Nabab of Cambay
Company School | Engraving Print | 21 X 29 cms
Accn. No.-14730 | Portrait of a Coachman (Bengal Company Style)
Company School | Watercolor on paper | 20 X 12 cms
Accn. No.-14740 | Red Lilies
Company School | Watercolor on paper | 17 X 23 cms
Accn. No.-14742 | Study of a Canary
Company School | Watercolor on Paper | 24.5 X 22 cms
Accn. No.-14744 | Gladiole
Company School | Watercolor on Paper | 16.8 X 23.5 cms
Accn. No.-14751 | Sketch Showing Bairagi Ratna
Company School | Pencil on paper | 11 X 16.7 cms
Accn. No.-14762 | Lady with a fan
Company School | Watercolor on paper | 30 X 40 cms
Accn. No.-14775 | Portrait of Maharaja, Baroda
Company School | Watercolor on paper | 24 X 33 cms
Accn. No.-14777 | Portrait of a Goswami from Nathdwara
Company School | Watercolor on paper | 20 X 24 cms
Accn. No.-01778 | Portrait of Kumar Singh (Sepoy Mutiny Fame)
Patna School | Watercolor on paper | 6.5 X 9.5 inch
Accn. No.-02091 | Portrait of a seated person
Watercolor and pencil on paper | 14.8 X 18.8 cms
Accn. No.-02092 | Portrait of an old man
Watercolor and tempera | 12.3 X 17.7 cms
Accn. No.-14723 | Coconut Oil Sellers
Watercolor on paper | 20.2 X 15.2 cms
Accn. No.-14737 | Two Young Men
Company School | Watercolor on paper | 30 X 24 cms
Accn. No.-02149 | Painting showing a bird
Watercolor | 12.25 X 16.5 cms
Accn. No.-14741 | Study of a Partridge
Avadh School | Watercolor on paper | 22 X 27 cms
Accn. No.-02138 | Sketch of Mir Lakhnawi
Watercolor | 21.75 X 24.5 cms
Accn. No.-02152 | Bust portrait of a man
Watercolor | 7 X 8 cms
Accn. No.-02354 | Painting
Company School | Pencil drawing | 4.7 X 5.7 cms
Accn. No.-02356 | No Title
Company School | Pencil drawing | 5.5 X 5.5 cms
Accn. No.-14765 | Bust portrait of European Noble
Awadh School | Drawing on paper | 11 X 9 cms
Accn. No.-14798 | Man with a child
Awadh School | Tempera | 13.3 X 17.8 cms
Accn. No.-14786 | A Noble Man
Watercolour on paper | 17 X 22.5 cms
Accn. No.-14795 | Thakur or Aristocrat
Tempera | 15.5 X 11.5 cms
Accn. No.-14736 | Retreating at speed
Watercolour on paper | 19.5 X 28.5 cms
Accn. No.-15826 | Kotwal's Jamedar holding a sword
Watercolour | 13 X 21 cms
Accn. No.-14774 | Girindranath Tagore
Watercolour on ivory | 10.5 X 14.5 cms
Accn. No.-14776 | A Surveyor in his office
Unknown medium | 15 X 20.2 cms
Accn. No.-14759 | Rajput Thakur
Tempera | 49 X 39 cms
Accn. No.-14950 | Portrait of Maharaja of Alwar
Watercolour on Paper | 24 X 64 cms
Accn. No.-02347 | European Lady
Ink and watercolour on paper | 14.7 X 20.7 cms
Accn. No.-02348 | Prince holding a flower
Tempera on paper | 12.2 X 19 cms
Accn. No.-02100 | Portrait of Prince
Tempera | 20.25 X 31.5 cms
Accn. No.-14768 | A Steward or Mace bearer
Awadh School | Brush drawing | 11 X 15.2 cms
Accn. No.-01777 | WazadAli Shah as a Prince with the royal family
Awadh School | Watercolour | 19.5 X 13.75 cms
Accn. No.-14784 | Wazad Ali Shah
Awadh School | Watercolour on paper | 31.7 X 23.8 cms
Accn. No.-02270 | Painting
Line drawing | 6.8 X 5.7 cms
Accn. No.-02275 | Juggler
Watercolour on paper | 15.8 X 17.8 cms
Accn. No.-02286 | Ghulam Ali Khan | A Noble and his attendant
Tempera on paper | 20 X 26.4 cms
Accn. No.-14731 | Man with a broom
Tempera | 9.5 X 14 cms
Accn. No.-14787 | Portrait of a courtesan
Tempera | 16.5 X 22 cms
Accn. No.-14739 | Basket maker
Patna School | Watercolour on paper | 16 X 19 cms
Accn. No.-02350 | Untitled
Company School | Watercolor on Paper | 12.5 X 15.5 cms
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