Revelations and Reverences offers a glimpse of India’s glorious art history

Shakuntala by Paul Gerhardt from Revelations and Reverences
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

A curated collection of oil paintings, watercolours, chromolithographs, litho stones, terracotta dolls and other artefacts is currently on display at Gallery G in the city, offering art and history lovers a rare glimpse of India’s treasure trove of art.

Titled Revelations and Reverences, the exhibition showcases works from the mid-19th century to Independent India. According to Archana Shenoy, Director, Curatorial Practices for Gallery G, a section called Image Move On focuses on Indian imagery sent abroad for the purpose of reproduction or printmaking. It was the custom for art agents to buy artwork from individual artists and send them abroad to lithograph makers, in Italy, Germany or England to make prints as production values in Europe were much cheaper.

Gajalaxmi Saraswati Ganapati calendar and litho stone from Revelations and Reverences
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

When the agents got these prints back, they were able to sell them at a cheaper price, making them more affordable, adorning almost every home in the country.

Understandably, lithographers in Europe were not aware of the significance of Indian customs, deities and mythology. “Over time lithographers began adding their own touches to these images resulting in a curious combination of two different types of art,” says Archana.

Lithographing was a painstaking and labour-intensive process. Originals were painted using oils on paper measuring 20×24” to fit onto hand-run machines. They were reproduced in mirror image on limestone blocks using black lithographic chalk or crayon. Colour elements were added one at a time and allowed to set on the paper before the block was wiped clean and the next colour was added to the image.

Venulola by GV Venkatesh Rao from Revelations and Reverences
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

It was at this stage in the re-production of images that additions and aberrations crept in. Saris draped over the wrong shoulder, the dogs in Dattatreya’s iconography depicted as European breeds — soon, these obvious prints from abroad were in greater demand.

Apart from paintings, there are a few terracotta figurines on loan from Ashvita’s, an art gallery in Chennai. Lithographs were made between 1880 and 1900 and a few decades later, those images became the base models on which the terracotta figures were created.

“The exhibition highlights how images progressed from one medium to the next, all the while keeping facial features, costumes and accoutrements exactly the same,“ says Archana.

Untitled Portrait of a Lady by Ustad Allah Bux
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

On display at Revelations and Reverences are rare works by masters such as C Kondaiah Raju, popularly known for his calendar art and images on firecracker boxes from Sivakasi. “He was also a brilliant artist and we have two of his works at the exhibition — an original oil and a wash on board. There’s also an original portrait by Mysore court artist K Keshavaiah famous for the durbar scene murals still seen at the Mysore palace.”

Early Dutch Bengal paintings, original Kalighat sketches, watercolours and portraits by artists such as M V Dhurandhar, B P Banerjee, Ustad Allah Bux and other gems from the treasure trove of time are on display.

Revelations & Reverences is on display at Gallery G till February 28, 2023.

A terracotta Laxmi figurine from Revelations and Reverences
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Godohana by MV Dhurandhar from Revelations and Reverences
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement