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.
Company paintings are characterized in many ways; mostly they can be identified by the medium they used such as watercolor in place of gouache. Not only visually, technically they also are identifiable by the presence of realism, linear perspective and shading, the new additions to the existing skillset of the local artists.
The art of Company painting aesthetically is the descendant of the artists and artworks of the likes of Thomas Daniell, William Daniell, Marshall Claxton and other western traveling artists who had mesmerized viewers by their depiction of scenes from India.
Rise of Company style of painting happened in multiple locations, leading to the regional influence in respective artist’s paintings these impressions can easily be observed in their creations. Each of the region has it’s distinguishable style, which can be furthered to come to the inference of heavy influence of older local and regional traditions of the soil. Places where large number of Europeans and subsequently more Indian artists migrated and settled these artworks were created in vast numbers and where the colony was smaller; fewer numbers of paintings were created. These places are mentioned as ‘production centers’ as the Indian artists used these areas to paint company paintings. Calcutta was one of the major production centers of early 1700’s as it was one of the major and one of the earliest base of British trading house- East India Company. French also encouraged Company artists in Punjab and Pondicherry where they had their bases of influence, but as dominant colonial power British provided the largest market and for that reason migration of Indian artists took place to the areas where British had a sizeable population. Later these groups of Indian artists were named Company painters. At the time when local artists were losing their source of income primarily due to decline of the Mughal dynasty, as dynastic influence and patronage declined considerably, and with the changing taste of Indian patrons in favor of works by the western visiting artists, company paintings became successful in spreading across India, from Calcutta to Delhi, from Varanasi, Lucknow to Madras, Madurai - paintings by local Company artists were produced in full flow. These Company style of art somewhat penetrated to the neighboring countries also. Like Burma, Ceylon, Nepal where British had their influence too. A combination of events influenced and assisted Indian artists train in this new form of art. For example, observing European artists at work, study of available western prints which local artists had access to and from the inputs provided by the western patrons, Indian artists learnt the techniques and taste of them. Artists learnt about European taste and techniques such as use of watercolor in place for gouache, use of European paper etc. and remarkably, the Indian artists have started replacing bright colors usually used in Indian paintings by colors with muted tones as preferred by their western patrons. The output was a hybrid style locally called ‘Kampani Kalam’, factually a record of India in European terms. Paintings generally was depiction of topography, architecture, ethnography and natural history, which were the most urgent information requirement for the European colonizers, apart from the angle of art. Caste depiction was a common subject, where ‘Pot maker Malabar Cast’, ‘Washer man Gentoo Cast’, ‘Barber Gentoo’, ‘Coachman’ as subjects, painted in South India in 1830’s, these paintings represented no individual, but the native types by their cast, occupation and festivity celebration style. Against clear white background, these subjects were decontextualized with a sense of isolation, leading to the unbiased visual indexing of Indians. Use of Calligraphy was very common. By the early nineteenth century production of Company paintings reached a considerable level. Among the lead group of patrons for this school of art who had nurtured Company painting, included Colonel James Skinner, Elijah Impey, the chief justice of the High Court and his wife Mary Impey, who had commissioned over three hundred of these paintings. Marquess Wellesley, had substantial collection of over two thousand five hundred of these artworks and he owned menageries too. To paint birds, insects and animals of his menageries he hired many local artists. Later, as the British expansionism became more widespread, these British colonizers involved local artists in major projects to paint samples of plants from the company-established botanical garden in Calcutta. French army Major general Claude Martin (1735-1800) while he was at his base in Lucknow commissioned six hundred fifty-eight paintings of birds, which is considered gem of works even today.
Major influential painting centers during early British colonization other than Calcutta were Varanasi, the oldest city on earth and holiest pilgrimage site for Hindus, the city of Madras, which was the city where Robert and Mrs. Clive was residing from 1798 to 1804. Once Britishers started occupying Delhi, the city also became one of the major production hub for the Company paintings from 1803 onwards. Delhi was the capital for most of the invading forces that eventually ruled India. Mughals being one of them- some monuments were built during their reign that became the point of visitor’s attraction and most popular subject among the British and European employees, travelers and artists. Foreigners did deploy local artists to delineate in accordance with their requirements. Other than monuments, most explored subjects were the residences, possessions of the British Company employees that they used to enjoy like servants, carriages, horses etc. The local artists used paper as very common medium, however, at times Ivory was used as the base for some paintings, which not only was unique use of the material but also in enhancement of the art, both visually and offering longevity to the medium. These artworks, collected by the patrons later included in collector’s album also known to be as ‘Murakka’, or to be furnished to their portfolios.
The East India Company had founded its trading center in the seventeenth century: Fort William (Calcutta) in 1690. Salmati, Kalikatra and Govindpur, three villages, for which East India Company got permission for establishing their first base at and Calcutta was born. Soon Calcutta started to see so called educated, cultured Westerners started colonizing the land, and soon they have started employing local artists to paint on special subjects that will cater to their interest. That is how Company painting took wings. Natural- history was particularly a subject of interest to some of the resident Europeans. M. Archer, Sir. Elijah and Lady Impey and Marquis Wellesley encouraged study of natural- history. Botanic Garden had been founded in 1786 at Sibpur, opposite to Calcutta; soon Wellesley began to plant Indian flora in Botanic Garden. Indian artists were appointed to paint the natural- history specimens almost immediately. By the time of Wellesley retired in 1813, the artists finished no fewer than 2542 paintings. Towards the end of the century, surrounding areas of `Chowringee and Garden Reach’, Indian artists found substantial patronage from the British colonizers. Few Company artists excelled in depicting houses and domestic scenes of British residants. Shaikh Muhammad Amir painted house of an unknown resident, his servants, carriages, horses and dogs. E. C Das was another Calcutta Painter specialized in the field. Most of these artists or their artworks not retained by any particular patron, rather they used to travel to areas for earning money from the local residents. Some Company Artists at some point in time accompanied British or European patrons on official assignments. One or two of the handpicked Calcutta artists travelled with Lord Amherst to Burma, and during travelling period, these artists drew paintings of “Assam chiefs”, “Prime Minister of Burma”, also natural- history drawings to mention a few. Another Calcutta artist worked for Sir Walter Raleigh Gilbert, painted Gilbert’s bungalow, his servants, and accompanied him on a tour to Sambalpur in Orissa.
All of these events and happenings resulted to the rise of Company painting genre, a special hybrid class of artistic expression. Local artists however, remained a different class poised between Village painters with flavor of Indian schools of art, like Kalighat School, and European art which various European travelers and artists who began to arrive in Calcutta, brought in, in the early part of nineteenth century.
Late eighteenth century saw the surge in production and participation of the Indian artists in Murshidabad district of undivided Bengal, as it was the center of the provincial government and a great political as well as commercial center of Eastern India. After the battle of Plassey in 1757, British moved in and started administering Bengal. Establishments and residences of British started to settle in and around Murshidabad, which was already a city of patrons of Indian paintings as Nawabs and elites were grooming Miniature painting and Ragamala since long. William Fullerton, Richard Johnson patronized artists from Murshidabad during 1770 and before. Indian artists were also in dire need of new patrons as old patrons and old painting styles were no more the default choice. The company of the British people and army officials gave local Indian artists a new way to work and get new patrons. Indian local artists started understanding the use of watercolor and somber shades. In 1785 when British artist Farington arrived at Mursidabad and was suggested that the city could be a financially rewarding center which probably signaled Indian artists to the type and subject of the artwork and they had started bringing in changes to their conventional choice of color in bright tones while painting to more dull, sepia tones western viewers were comfortable with. Subjects alteration also took place simultaneously. Subjects of festivals like Chait, Jagannath, Holi, Charak, Bakr Id and portrait of elites selected as favorites. Through likes of Farington, the British artist, locals came to know about European techniques and subjects. 1820s and 1830s saw even more influential British artists influencing local artists. A paradigm shift occurred and Company paintings became the mainstream art of Murshidabad painting style of Company school.
Arguably, the best works of Company paintings produced at Patna. By 1800, Patna became the head quarter of one of the eleven Provincial Committees as decided by the British company authority. As a result, a number of artists migrated from cities of Bengal to Patna due to the demand of artists there. Sewak Ram was one of the best-known artist whose works on sets of occupations as well as large paintings of ceremonies and festivals were collected by Lord Minto and Lord Amherst as collectables. British taste in the early nineteenth century in both ‘subject as well as color range’ shows the use of sepia with the hint of brighter color, adopted successfully by Indian artists from Patna. Patna artists were also successful in marketing their artworks to the solvent purchasers at various river ghats, by visiting bungalows of the rich Europeans or touring the city for clients who will not only purchase but also may become patron of those artists. Artists of Company style from Patna painted natural- history in exclusive details while also painted various occupations. Two most revered name of this Patna Company artists were ‘Shiva Lal’ and ‘Shiva Dayal Lal’, who produced artworks of this genre and used to sell them through their own outlet. Shiva Lal used watercolor and was influenced by the European style while Shiva Dayal Lal was more indigenous and worked following conventional Indian style. Like Murshidabad painters, Patna painters also kept uncolored drawings on mica as `aides-memoire’ and `models’ for future.
As one of the Mughal province of Oudh, the city of Benaras saw the dramatic change of rule and social engineering of a different kind when East India Company took it over. Europeans already frequented Benaras, probably the most ancient of the cities, because of its attractions, temples, architectures, ghats and overall ambience. With the establishment of a British military cantonment, the British military and civilians started visiting even more frequently the place and waterway was being used as the most favorite way to journey. Tourists, residents and army personnel, some of them were artist or art lovers, came close to the proximity of the local Indian artists and some who migrated from Patna. Company paintings started a new chapter here. Kamalpati Lal (1760-1838), Dallu Lal (1790- 1860), were among the first to migrate to Benaras. Benaras paintings are a bit cruder and brightly colored in comparison to Patna paintings while Hindu gods and ascetics were the chosen subjects. Portraits of royals as usual remain in the favorite list. A fusion of European art with Indian conventional art successfully gave birth to the Benaras Company painting style.
Delhi was another place where art and culture in the form of Company painting took the center stage. A clear idea emerges from the papers of British brothers James and William Fraser on how Delhi Company artists were generally employed. In a long official journey to Himalayas, artists from Delhi were called in to draw paintings on some of the accompanying Gurkhas. Once back in Delhi after the long tour, William Fraser summoned ‘Lalji and his son Hulas Lal’ to draw paintings in portrait of some dancers. Another notable artist of that period was Ram Dutt, who was entrusted the role of painting Qutb Minar and its surroundings, during 1816. In James’s words: “ I was taken up with showing him the view I wished to be made about the Coutab’ and ‘a view of certain pillars and the dome on entering the squire where the iron pillar is’. William’s employment of the local artists at the time of tours were also noted. For example, he took an Indian Company artist with him when he visited Patiala in 1817 and the artist made a drawing of the Maharaja as per order. Fraser had a collection of paintings of famous Delhi personalities such as Ascetics `Mr. Flowery Man’, `The Centenarian Sayyid Mirza Azim Beg of Hansi’, and Skinner’s `Yellow Boys’ among the best of company painting collections ever made in Delhi. Jiwan Ram was another Company style portrait painter of repute.
These Delhi artists were probably the most accomplished and versatile among all of the Indian Company painters.
On the donated territory in 1639, which the last ruler of Vijayanagar “Raja of Chandragiri” donated to the East India Company, the British Company founded a factory for trade, which later through chain of actions became the city of Madras in 1715, and was among the earliest and most important settlement of the British company.
There was no indigenous school of painting identified with Madras but with the arrival of British, and their troops, the scenario changed rapidly. The British wanted to know about the locality and its inhabitants leading to a fast recruitment of artists from local and surrounding areas as the situation demanded. These newly recruited artists started producing illustrations of the local people, castes and trade in vast numbers. As the British too, grew in numbers and influence, they had started purchasing land and building palaces on the land, they had purchased. They wanted their life story and The Story of the surroundings to be recorded as to access physical data as well as archive the data for future use. As these new British residents of Madras were educated and had their training as artists, so when they reached India, and they have found different social scenes, weather and atmosphere than in Britain, they were too excited to record these scenes, temples, monuments, memorials, indigenous people of this land and their lifestyle including cast etc. These Europeans, mostly British depended on local artist to paint the surrounding visuals but according to the patrons wish. In the early nineteenth century, some of the Indian artists from Madras were mentioned as `Specialist flower painters’. Rangia Raju, a local flower- painting specialist, created many a Company painting of Natural- history on the flora of India in two years, assembled in three albums.
In the year 1773, Tanjore became a `Protected’ state with a British garrison. In 1799, after the Mysore war, Tanjore ruler Sarabhoji (1798-1832) effectively became a titular head of the state and British took complete control. Tanjore was declared a `Regulation District’ in the Madras presidency. The change opened the gate for Company paintings and British residents had started to commission this form of artwork. French were also into it as a number of French people lived there. Paintings on trade, occupation with inscription in both English and French confirms this. The resident or visiting British, European civilians and military persons were approached by these local artists to sell their paintings they produced on the subjects of `Rulers riding on horse’, `seated in a carriage’, `Carried in a palanquin’ or `In a religious procession seating on an elephant’. Portrait of the ruling elites were always a favorite among subjects to the British, and Charlotte Clive confirmed this in her diary.
In the early days, this school of art and related artists were solely dependent on selected few patrons who used to decide the subjects. However, by the beginning of nineteenth century, seasoned local artists of India started realizing the possibilities of handsome return from the skill sets they possess. Once they realized the potentiality, they had started creating sets of popular subjects for the use of selling them to any foreign tourist who pass through or visit areas of major attraction, the common meeting point of the European visitors and the local artists in those days. Favorite among the subjects used by the local artists were memorials, scenes from festivals, variety of casts, occupations of the inhabitants or colorful costumes of people of various social strata.
To name some of the famous artists from the school of Company painting, the foremost name that the critique circle recalls is artist Sewak Ram who worked in Patna. Another family that of Ghulam Ali Khan of Delhi is also remembered as one of the prominent artist of the genre. Sewak ram probably went to Patna in search of a better living in or around 1790. He was an artist of caliber and within a few year, he was one of the famed Company painter of top class. His large-scale paintings on the subjects of festivals and ceremonies attracted buyers like Lord Minto and Lord Amherst, both Governor-Generals. Then East India Company started their expansion and in the process grabbed more and more lands in north India, company selected William and James Fraser to have a tour of the newly conquered land in northern part of India in 1815-1816, few artists accompanied Fraser brothers from Delhi. Ghulam Ali Khan probably succeeded to make himself attached to the touring team of Fraser brothers. Nevertheless, Khans prominent works are all dated post 1820’s, when Fraser brothers went back to Delhi. Khan family’s specialty was depiction of village life and portraiture.
Company paintings did not have equal penetration throughout India. The prime reason behind it’s presence in the major cities and almost absolute absence in the rest of the nation was that while major cities and towns had number of monuments, memorials, and architectures as points of attraction, which played role in attracting tourists and interested persons of substance and influence to these places. Smaller towns, villages and lesser-known places however, did not have that attraction. This was one of the prime reason. the Europeans especially British Company bosses, ruling class and employees with financial and administrative muscle crowded around major cities like Calcutta, Delhi, Varanasi, Lucknow, Madras, Madurai, Patna.
Rajasthan, Himalayan foothill areas, Hyderabad etc. had their own schools of art and they were actively patronized and looked after by the local Raja, Rana, Maharajas. So local artists from these areas were living and working under the umbrella of these patrons and somewhat under safer conditions.
Company painting as a form of art survived into twentieth century, but the art lost its sheen and went out of favor with the introduction of Photography in the early ‘40s. Ishwari Prasad, an artist of highest repute of this genre of art, was based in Patna, also worked at the Calcutta School of Art as a teacher in the early 1900s. But with the emergence of the Modernists, the status of his style of art ‘Company painting’ was considered inferior to the creativity of the newly emerged school of art. In 1930s and 1940s Dr. W. G. Archer and his wife Dr. Mildred Archer bought a huge number of Company painting from the stock of Ishwari Prasad, which subsequently made the couple among the largest collector of this form of art, anywhere in the world. Late nineteenth century saw the British established number of Schools of Art, which were radical in teaching ‘western version’ of art, leading to complicate the situation further. But the final blow came with the demise of Artist Iswari Prasad in 1950, as he was perhaps the last notable exponent of this form of great art, the hope for the revival of this unique form of art diminished.