Portraits, Politics and the Picturesque in the Art of Colonial India

Abstract

Colonial art of India highlights a remarkable blend of east and west – converging on grounds of matter and manner of expression. An important intervention of colonial experience on the cultural life of India was the establishment of art colleges in Calcutta, Madras and Bombay with an intent to ‘elevate’ the status of Indian art by teaching them western theories and finer taste. This paper examines the politics behind establishment of art institutions and how company paintings, portraits and representation of the picturesque became perfect examples of the amalgamation of east and west on canvasses. The paper also explores how this cross-cultural exchange revolutionized modern Indian art in the process.