James Forbes and His Journey in India
In 1765, a young Scottish writer, James Forbes, began his career in India as a junior clerk with the East India Company. Over an 18-year period, he traveled extensively, documenting his experiences and observations through art and writings.
- Travel Destinations: Bombay (Maharashtra), Surat, Bharuch, Dabhoi (Gujarat), Agra, and the Malabar Coast.
- Artistic Documentation: Created over 52,000 pages of sketches and observations, focusing on India's flora, fauna, culture, customs, and landscapes.
Company Paintings
The art form known as "company paintings" emerged during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. These paintings were created by Indian artists for European patrons, typically associated with the British East India Company.
Categories of Company Paintings
- Natural History: Illustrates India's rich biodiversity.
- Architecture: Depicts historic monuments and urban vistas with a fusion of Indian and European styles.
- Indian Manners and Customs: Portrays people from various trades and castes, capturing the cultural fabric of the time.
Key European Patrons
- Lady Mary Impey: Commissioned artists in the 1770s to depict birds, animals, and plants.
- Claude Martin: In Lucknow, commissioned natural history studies from court artists.
Influence of British Arrival on Art
The British influence shifted the focus of artistic commissions to primarily illustrate architectural facades. This change is noted in the works of artists employed by French officer Jean Baptiste Gentil in documenting monuments in Faizabad, Delhi, and Agra.
Architectural Depictions
- Murshidabad School Watercolours: Depicts British buildings in Bengal, with only the Parade Ground in Berhampore remaining today.
Modernism's Pre-History
Ashish Anand of DAG describes company paintings as foundational to modernism, capturing a moment where Indian artists expanded beyond traditional court patronage to explore new subjects and styles, setting the stage for future developments in Indian art.
