Page 90 - Eye of the beholder

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