“Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter. The sitter is merely the accident, the occasion. It is not he who is revealed by the painter; it is rather the painter who, on the coloured canvas, reveals himself.” ? Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gra.
Read MoreWhat Wilde writes about in The Picture of Dorian Gray articulates the painter’s approach to portraiture through the centuries. If portraits are seen as pretty pictures, the painter chose to depict the sitter as such. Through time, the idea of how portraits should be made has changed drastically in style and technique, and with these they’ve carried a part of the histories and politics of their origins. If Renaissance painter Raphael (remember those charming self-portraits?), or Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer (think “Girl with the Pearl Earring”) were lauded for their astounding mastery of form, light and colour, Picasso subverted the conventional idea of a portrait achieving realism, with his fractured, Cubist planes. The artist is vested with a certain power when he chooses whom to depict, and how to depict them..
In the Indian subcontinent, portraiture has had a fascinating history. It has amalgamated an array of influences—Persian, European, and local Hindu and Muslim customs—and highlights the patron’s preferences and role in pushing artistic practices. Looking not too far back in history, Rajput and Mughal miniaturists often portrayed rulers in a two-dimensional, stylised profile view, either interacting with courtiers or guests, or in various poses. The idea was to magnify the grandeur of these rulers and project them as invincible, majestic people. Busts were rare; the entire body would be fitted in these small artworks along with intricately painted vestments and jewellery.
By the mid-19th century, the traditions of miniature painting took a backseat as the British propagated a western academic style of painting. European artists travelled around India and documented landscapes and people extensively, but in a manner that resembled reality. Though these paintings were made for European markets, they left their mark on the locals as well. The stylisations of miniaturists and indigenous artists were seen as ‘incorrect’. The British encouraged realistic portrayals of the subject, and local monarchs and aristocrats were more than happy to endorse this new approach. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Raja Ravi Varma set a new benchmark for portrait painting by adopting this technique and redefining what Indian art stood for. He learnt to work with oils and was commissioned by numerous royal courts to make portraits of kings, queens and princesses. He was also the first Indian artist to give a realistic form to Hindu gods and goddesses, and in the process, created portraits of entities that had till then existed in sacred texts and manuscripts, or been limited to the patrons of miniature artists.
This new direction portraiture had taken held the public enraptured for a while, until rising nationalistic sentiments incited Abanindranath Tagore and his Bengal School to reject Western ideas of art. With artists attempting to seek new styles, portraits shifted from being photo-realistic works of those in power to images of what the artist deemed representative of the country. For instance, Jamini Roy turned to Kalighat pats or scrolls for their stylised simplicity, and chose villagers as representing simplicity and purity. Jump ahead a few decades, and India’s enfant terrible F. N. Souza decided to ‘expose’ the corruption and hypocrisy of those in authority through his contorted and frightening faces. Wilde’s observation resonates with what these artists achieved through their portraits: an outlet for their artistic and personal concerns. Generations of artists have successfully leveraged portrait painting to mould the way viewers perceive the world around them.
StoryLTD’s collection of portraits spans realistic depictions and stylised faces. Here, forms pulsate with energy or veil themselves in mystery. Some border on abstraction, and some are minimalist. Browse through our collection and buy the works that best suit your home.
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