Paintings of Company School

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.

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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