Page 220 - Eye of the beholder

India in in in in the the the 18th century was witnessing the the the fading glory of the the the Mughal power The administrative machinery had had had collapsed and the the last of the the Mughal emperor Bhadur Shah II had had had become a a a a a a a a a a puppet in the the hands of the the British for easy manipulation Eighteenth century was a a a a a a a a particularly significant period in the the history of of Indian Art It was a a a a a a time marked by the the presence of of many foreigners within the country as as a a a a a a a result of prolific trade that was established with with various countries as Britain France Denmark Portugal Netherland and and others Their patterns of mobility was associated with the emergence of ‘mercantile imperialism’ a a a a a a a phenomenon that marked the development of powerful and pioneering mercantile interests during a a a a period when Britain and and and other nations competed for trading privileges and and and often economic and and and political control The result was an an increased mobility of certain individuals as as as merchants adventurers envoys including artists artists As for the the artists artists one of their singular achievements was paintings made in in in in in India India which though distinct within the colonial Indian context however remains a a a a a a little appreciated contribution of of the the art of of both the the nations With the the establishment of of East India Company the the mercantile Imperialism of of British began to spread its tentacles and among many non European nations India offered opportunities for prospective and prosperous trade that also marked its popularity Eighteenth century postures as a a a a a a a a significant period in in British British colonial India witnessing a a a a a a a a large number of British British and other foreign artists trained in in in in in in in oil paintings and and miniaturists travelling between 1780 and and 1850s in in in in in in in search of commissions As travelling became increasingly simple for Europeans in in in in the second half of of of 18th century India witnessed an arrival of of of genre of of of artists who were different in their taste and interests It was the the the antiquities of India that lured them but they were not interested in in in scholarship rather came in in in search of the the ‘sublime’ and ‘picturesque’ elements in in in Indian architecture These artists could be classified broadly as as amateurs and professionals The presence of amateur artists in India was no no no strange phenomenon From the mid 18th century onwards drawings from life and and nature had been regarded in in England as a a a a a a a a a a desirable accomplishment Men and and and women of of upper and and and middle class had much leisure and and and one of of the most popular and valued ways of occupying it was by drawing They had acquired training in in in in in fin fine arts of drawing and painting so as to spend their leisure hours in in in in this avocation simultaneously establishing their elite social status as in in in in in music or dance and had no interest in in in in in generating monetary benefits Drawings by amateurs can be be grouped into two main categories Untill about 1840 amateur sketching was was always spoken as as as ‘water colour drawings’ The subject was was drawn on paper in in in in pencil and often reinforced in in in in ink with a a a a a a a reed or or quill pen pen which gave a a a a a a a broad and and vigorous line Shadows were laid on in in in neutral colours as as sepia and and light was indicated with faint washes of transparent colour colour Initially only a a a a a a few colours were used unobtrusively but by 1790 tinting had become bolder The finished water colour was usually built up at at home from preliminary sketches with colour notes and rarely made on spot By mid 19th century technique and and style gradually developed and and ‘water-colour draws’ became ‘water ‘water colour colour painting’ The change of of of technique required direct washes of of of transparent colour such as as light shades of of of red red were were initially applied then a a a a a a a a mixture of transparent colour colour and and body colour colour were were added and and finally opaque paint was stippled on Painting and and sketching of of this kind were part of of a a a a a a a a a liberal education and and from the last quarters of the 18th century it was normal for men men and women to be instructed by drawing masters either in in in school or at at home thus augmenting their earnings through private tuitions to young people The The teaching methodology was mainly through the copying process The The teacher
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