Conservation of Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century European Paintings in India

Abstract

From the eighteenth century onwards, European and British artists worked in India, under Portuguese, French and British traders. Their themes were portraits, landscapes and scenes of daily life done in a naturalistic style. These paintings found their way into palaces, into the houses of the higher ranks of the ubiquitous British army, as well as into affluent Indian homes. Among the prominent artists who··painted in India were George Farington, John Zoffany, Tilly Kettle, Thomas Daniel, William Daniel, Thomas Hickey, Francisco Renaldi,George Chinnery, Robert Home and Thomas Seton. In the last century and a half, a lot of these paintings have changed hands, suffering greatly in the process. Others deteriorated considerably due to severe climatic conditions, ignorant handling and bad storage. Had these paintings been left alone and not interfered with, their conservation would have been less complicated. Earlier attempts at conservation in India produced disastrous results, and dealers overseas became interested in the paintings, for obvious reasons. Realizing the gravity of the situation, the Government of India, Department of Culture, has approved a project for the restoration of oil paintings and works of art of non-Indian origin. The project has been assigned to the National Museum, New Delhi, where most of the work has been going on since January 1985. Recently two more centres have been opened to render additional help, one at the Victoria Memorial in Calcutta and the other at the National Research Laboratory for Conservation of Cultural Property in Lucknow. The centre at the National Museum coordinates all the activities of this project. In the poster we discuss three paintings which have recently been restored at the National Museum, New Delhi: 'Richard Southwell Bourke, Sixth Earl of Mayo' by George F. Clarke; British, oil on canvas, 246cm x 158cm. Collection: Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi, Acc. No. 144/0.P. -16 (35). 2 'Sir John Laird Mair Lowrence, Bart, Viceroy and Governor General of India' by Val Prince, PRA; British, oil on canvas, 142.5cm x 111cm. Collection: Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi, Acc. No. 251/0.P. -72 (40).