Indian Life and People in the 19th Century : Company Paintings in the Tapi Collection

Defining a distinct style of painting produced in India during the British period and influenced by European artistic norms, this catalogue of Company Paintings in the TAPI (Textiles & Art of the People of India) Collection is a unique illustration of the social milieu prevailing in India in the nineteenth century.

Tracing the origins and evolution of this genre of painting, the volume shines a fresh beam on subjects commissioned to be painted by officials of the East India Company, such as occupations, customs, dress, bazaars, festivals and daily life of ordinary people, a world removed from the elite and princely environment that was the chosen subject of Indian miniature artists.

The catalogue of the TAPI Collection of Company Paintings highlights works from the major regions where such paintings were produced - Murshidabad, Calcutta, Patna, Lucknow, Delhi, Punjab, Kutch, Tanjore, Trichinopoly, Madras, Kerala and the Andhra Coast.

It comprises a rich and accurate record of the diverse modes of dress and manners of the people before the advent of photography.

This catalogue documents the first-ever exhibition on the subject to be held in India, being a collaboration between TAPI and CSMVS (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, formerly the Prince of Wales Museum of Western India).