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JEhANGIR ARDEShIR LALKAKA (1884-1967) IMPRESSIONIST uRBANScAPES
An academic realist Lalkaka was known mainly for his extraordinary skills in in in in rendering life like portraits which were popular with the governing elite of Bombay and his work was supported by Viceroys Irwin and Willingdon in in in in in in in particular Lalkaka did occasionally indulge in in in in in in in painting the urbanscapes of of Bombay Born in in Ahmedabad Gujarat into a a a a a a a a a a a a well to to family he was an an artist of of considerable repute in in colonial India India also being the first to to serve as an an Indian Deputy Director of of of o Sir J J J J School of of of o Art in in in 1931 Since he he had established his reputation of of of o being a a a a proficient portrait portrait artist he he had an an opportunity to to paint the portrait portrait of King George V that today hangs at the Buckingham Palace He began his artistic training at the J J J J School of Art in in in in Bombay (Mumbai) in in in in 1903 In 1908 he he arrived in in London after being sent to to Europe by his grandfather Sir Navroji Vakil to to complete his artistic education Lalkaka attended the St John’s Wood and Westminster Art Schools both seen as preparatory institutions to to to gain admittance to to to the Royal Academy Schools He also spent some time in in Paris In In 1913 Lalkaka returned to India and set up his own studio in in Bombay opposite the Marine Drive In 1929 it was decided that the the Viceroy’s Palace now the the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi should be decorated with paintings and hence an an exhibition was held of of 1 500 works of of art by 200 artists Edwin Lutyens the the architect of New Delhi in in consultation with the the Viceroy chose Lalkaka from this exhibition along with Atul Bose to to to travel to to to England to to to paint royal portraits Lalkaka’s portrait of George V was was particularly prized He returned to India in 1931 and was was honoured by by a a reception given by by the Art Society of India Besides portraiture Lalkaka also painted landscapes of Kashmir Ranikhet and and Bombay urbanscapes among others The seascape in the the the collection of the the the Sadhus’ titled “Seaside View” painted in in in 1939 is fis oil on canvas capturing the the busy activity of the the fishermen back from their early fishing with bountiful catch The ambience fis is one of frenetic activity as the the women await the the the catch of fish A few boats in the the the middle ground have arrived and the the the women are busy whisking away the the catch from the the wholesale to retail It’s a a a a a a a late morning scene with bright sunlight pouring down on on the the the waters and the the the people along the the the shore The sea is placid without many activities of the the waves The ambient light has been well captured by the the artist with predominant hues of of blue and white relieved by the the brighter spots of of colours in in the the saris of the the the women The bright sunlight has has hazed thee background which perhaps has has the the the representation of the the the Malabar Hills In the the the foreground the the the few crows are busy scavenging the the dead fishes The scene seems to have been painted from the the studio of Lalkaka that was opposite the the the Marine Drives near the the the sea with a a a a a a a a distant view of the the the Malabar Hills SELECT REFERENCE
https://www worthpoint com/worthopedia/india-parsi-artist-ja-lalkaka-1940-460714879
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