M F PITHAWALLA (1872 - 1937)

Private Collection, New Delhi

Non-Exportable

Manchershaw Fakirjee Pithawalla trained at the Sir J.J School of Art in Bombay under the guidance of artist Chiranjilal and principal John Griffiths, mastering early in his career the Academic realist style of portrait painting. He later studied at the British Academy in Rome. Pithawala's work stood its own ground among the creations of Pestonjee Bomanjee, M.V. Dhurandhar and Antonio Xavier Trindade, considered leaders among Bombay artists at that time. His excellence in the use of oil paints drew praise from George Birdwood, a senior art critic, who saw Pithawala's copies of Velasquez and Rembrandt paintings and remarked, “When slightly aged, it will be hard to distinguish them from the originals…”

He was awarded the Bombay Art Society's Gold medal in 1907 and in 1911 visited Italy, France and England, culminating his tour in a successful solo exhibition at the Dore Gallery in London and becoming the first Indian artist to do so.

Pithawalla's portraits documented the ethos of India's Victorian colonial establishment and its hierarchy. He captured likenesses of members of the aristocracy and bourgeoisie, ladies and gentlemen of high standing – lawyers, landlords, elite merchants. The person in this portrait, in all likelhihood a Parsi gentleman, appears to be part of distinguished circles in Bombay, marked by his steady gaze and English attire.