British-era military structures in the Red Fort are showcasing an unseen past
A long embroidered jacket in phosphorescent peach, socks in electric blue and strand-upon-strand of uncut emeralds in dazzling green. The 1930s oil-on-canvas portrait of the Nawab of Malerkotla, Muhammad Ali Khan Bahadur, is a striking study of western painting in Indian courts, where the portrait painter would highlight the lavish robes, stunning jewels and imperious postures of the royalty with photographic precision.
Or was it copied from a photograph? The full-length portrait does not mention the painter but credits Bourne & Shepherd Studio, the photo studio patronised by the nobility, Europeans and the upper middle class in colonial India. More conspicuous is the painting’s size. At 108x60 inches, the imposing portrait and its original frame together weigh over 200kg. It was, in all likelihood, meant to grace the opulent durbar halls of a palace.
This story is from the April 28, 2019 edition of THE WEEK.
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This story is from the April 28, 2019 edition of THE WEEK.
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