The Indian Portrait

Nice exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery looking at the tradition and role of portraiture in India from 1560 to 1860.

The exhibition was arranged by court with pictures of emperors, holy men, scribes and courtiers. Many of the pictures are of groups and events and include a portrait. These are wonderfully dense pictures with elaborate borders.

One the whole the pictures stood on their own merits but at times attention was drawn to the influence of Western art. I love the later pictures as the British move in and to see how they were viewed and portrayed.

My favourite picture was one of a elderly scribe which is a picture of age and concentration. It could be a picture from any place and any time and it would remain true to its subject.

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