Feeding the Parrot
Description
The lady in this painting, Jiloobai, is the wife of the artist Pestonji Bomanjee (1851-1938) dressed in traditional Parsi homely attire. The child clinging to her could be artist’s daughter. The painting was painted at Ajanta when Bomanji was working on a project of copying the murals 1882. Some images are shown in the background, indicative of the provenance and Bomanji’s preoccupation at the time. The images are rendered meticulously and they record the details in subdued colours. Painting’s treatment is naturalistic.
Pestonji Bomanjee joined Sir J. J. School of Arts in 1864 when he was a thirteen-year-old boy. Initially, he studied Sculpture under Lockwood Kipling and then Painting under John Griffiths. Griffiths put Pestonji in-charge of the project for making facsimiles of Ajanta murals during the period from 1872 to 1884.
Endowed with great skill and craftsmanship, Pestonji had a rare vision of developing technique which could maintain true painterly values in his works executed in oil. His style reflects the influence of the 17th-century Dutch master painters Rembrandt and Vermeer. He is considered to be one of the pioneers of the Bombay School of painting.
He was awarded the Viceroy’s Gold Medal in 1879 and 1898. He was honoured with numerous medals, prizes and certificates for his works exhibited in various exhibitions held in India
Collection
Indian Paintings
Artist
Pestonji Bomanji (1851-1938)
Object Type
Painting
Material
Oil on canvas
Schools/Culture/Period
Bombay School
Technique
Oil painting
Date
Dated 1882 CE
Location
Bombay
Dimension
76.5 x 61 cms.