Pestonji Bomanji was one of the first portrait painters from India, he joined the Sir J.J. School of Art at the mere age of 13. “His talent got him immediate attention from the principal, John Griffiths, who handpicked him for his Ajanta mural expedition.”
The murals told the Jataka stories of the lives of the Buddha in images of such extraordinary elegance and grace that they clearly represented a fragment of a lost golden age of Indian painting.
They were utterly lovely but they were also utterly alone as well. In this project, students had to recreate all the ancient murals of the Ajanta caves. “With great dedication and skill, Bomanji did this for a decade, during which he evolved his own mature style and technique.”
These murals lingered in his mind while he was making his portraits, depictions of the greatest Indian civilization might have influenced him into finding that grandeur and sublime aspects of regular daily lives. Realistic yet spectral.
“Griffiths also recommended him to Valentine Prinsep, a renowned British painter, who eventually took him under his wing. Bomanji had initially wanted to be a sculptor, but during the course of his apprenticeship with Prinsep, he got interested in portraits which ultimately formed his artistic legacy.”
In 1894, he became one of the first Indian teachers at the J J art school, Pestonji officiated briefly as Vice Principal also, the only Indian to do so before this century.
When Bomanji set up as a portraitist, Griffiths regularly sent him students to give them experience in oil painting As one of India’s earliest practicing Parsi artists who primarily painted members of his own community, an interesting aspect of his work is the number of real women he captures in his portraits.
Maybe princesses with tiaras and narrow-waisted dancing girls of extraordinary sensuousness of Ajanta murals inspired him to look for beauty in portraits and what better way to find that delight than in the women he saw daily who we equally enchanting and divine as those princesses.
“His style was greatly influenced by Prinsep, which is apparent in his juxtaposition of western aesthetics with Indian subjects and settings. Hence, he came to be known as ‘The Indian Rembrandt’.”
This oil on canvas was painted in 1885, currently under the protection of CSMVS Mumbai, Sir Dorabji TATA Collection, at first glance on the painting, it radiates a warm and compassionate feeling, the bright fire being burnt directly in Centre of the frame brings that out, out of everything on the painting the fire is the most attracting subject.
It brings the focus closer, on the scene which is been taking place, a Dastur (Parsi high priest) praying for an old lady who’s on her deathbed. Bomanji’s painting clearly gives us a glimpse on the Parsi culture and traditions. Along with portrayal of Parsi women in their habitat, their house.
The painting lost its golden Firey warmth in last few decades, the varnish which was used to enhance the visibility of the painting had darkened with time, from a weak yellowish hue they turned to deep browns. At times the varnish brings a new and elegant glance to the picture, but in this case, it hid the intentions of the artist. therefore, the varnish was removed.
Now this painting radiates in the same golden intensity as Bomanji intended, we feeling the calmness, same as the old lady in the painting peacefully finding comfort in the warmth of that fire and prayer.
Inputs taken from:
https://daak.substack.com/p/the-indian-rembrandt-pestonji-bomanjis