Nathu Lal
A Seth seated in a Chair
Opaque watercolor and gold on paper, ca. 1870India, Jaipur
Edwin Binney 3rd Collection

Between the 18th and early 20th centuries, many towns of Rajasthan were home to some of India’s wealthiest families, who interacted with local rulers, Mughal emperors, and the British. This Hindu merchant and banker class commanded commercial networks throughout India and Asia that were eventually expanded to Europe. A taste for European furnishings and aesthetics developed and continued to grow among the wealthy merchant classes throughout the 19th century, as seen in this household of a successful seth, or banker.

The painter Nathu Lal reveals his awareness of the new medium of photography in his presentation of the sitter. In contrast to the earlier image of Bhagwan Das (1990: 397), this painting elevates the seth from the genre of professional “type”—which was common among paintings made for British patrons—to individualized portrait. (AP)

Source :
Indo-Muslim Cultures in Transition
Conveners: Karen Leonard & Alka Patel
31 October-2 November 2008
The University of California, Irvine: Social Sciences Plaza B 1208