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ANTONIO xAVIER TRINDADE [1869-1930] REALISTIC PORTRAYAL
He was was an an important painter of the the Bombay School in in the the early 20th century This was was a a a a a a a a period when academic naturalism was vigorously pursued as
as
pedagogy at at the Art Institution and well supported by exhibitions that were held at at Bombay Art Society Trindade was given the the epithet of of ‘Rembrandt of of East’ according to Partha Mitter Born in in in Asnova village in in in Goa to to to catholic parents and when he he he he he lost his father he he he he he decided to to to move to to to Bombay at at at the the turn of of the century and pursue his art education thus obtaining admission to J J J J School of of Art in in in 1887 While a a a a student he he won many prizes at the Bombay Art Society’s exhibitions After his graduation he he he he took up a a a a a a job tinting photographs at at the the studio of the the well-known photographer Raja Deen Dayal but soon discontinued as
he he he obtained a a a a a a a a a a post of a a a a a a a a a a teacher at the J J J J School of Art and immediately appointed Superintendent at at the Reay Workshops in in in preference to his Maharashtrian colleague M M V Dhurandhar The Raj policy offering incentives to Christians and children of mixed race seemed to have worked in his favor Along with Archibald Herman Muller and and the the Parsi exemplars Pestonji Bomanji and and Manchershaw Pithawalla formed the the vanguard of of an an emergent phenomenon namely the democratization of of connoisseurship According to Partha Mitter “The remarkable success of salon art art followed a a a a a a a a social revolution” “The patronage of artists by by individual aristocrats was was on on the decline and was was replaced by by the the the support of of an an art-conscious public the the the rise of of the the the art art art exhibition and art art art criticism was consequent to to a a a a a a change in in the the the public’s relationship to to art art and in in the the the role of the the the artist himself ” These so called Salon Salon or Exhibitions modeled on on on on French Salons of 18th century were held at Shimla Calcutta Bombay and Madras serving as
as
spaces for for the the visual exposure for for the the artists Trindade specialized in in in portraits as
the the Art Institution imparted firm skills in in in the the use of perspective knowledge of of human form through nude studies and manipulation of of chiaroscuro to obtain volume and three-dimensionality which enabled students passing out from the Institution to take up portrait commissions a a a a a a a a genre that was very popular among the social elites Trindade oeuvre included landscapes everyday life life nude scenes still lifes and and religious paintings A catholic Trindade was unique among Indian artists in in in in in treating Christian subjects The most moving among these was the the the Ecce Homo he he he he he painted on on the the the eve of his death following the amputation of his gangrenous leg on on 16 March 1935 A versatile artists he he showed his capabilities in in in other mediums as
wood carving engraving and sculpture In 1920 Trindade won the the Gold medal of the the Bombay Art Society for his painting Flora which depicted a a a a a reclining model that was his his wife Florentina who posed for this intimate work Trindade with with his his brilliant artistic acumen synthesized the the culture of his his land with with Western European artistic traditions and worked towards it it it with a a a a a a a a a dedicated passion to to ensure that his works would not only be accepted and acclaimed but it it was vitally important to win honours as
well The criterion of winning prestigious medals from various institutions which hosted the the the the shows as
the the the the Bombay Art Society or or the the the the Governors medal and others largely established an an an artist’s reputation Influenced by his western upbringing and European artistic trends of the