Group- Saloni Bhojani and Preet Barot
Topic- Patronage & Aesthetics- Early Modernity in the Indian Princely States- A Case study of early 20th century Jodhpur through works of Stefan Norblin
Idea- Using the art history methodologies and theories, especially post-colonial theories to understand the impact of Westernization and colonialism in changing ideas of modernity, and aesthetics/ taste among the princely states of India in the 20th century. The project aims to look deeper into this idea through the case study of early 20th-century Jodhpur and the works of Stefan Norblin.
Process-
This curation project is based on the post-graduation research dissertation, developed for the curation workshop, an activity part of the academic curriculum. By working in loosely formed teams of masters first and second years, this activity aimed to give our dissertations a visual form, to be communicated through text and images as a contemporary artwork to be displayed in an exterior or interior environment of in a space.
Both batches of masters were grouped for this curation project to develop teamwork skills. The groups were not rigid as the intercommunication and exchange of ideas were promoted. The project began through emphasis on relation between visual culture and methodologies which were taught in class but through this, we aimed to apply them in art curation. Tools such as mind maps and visual analysis were utilized while researching and writing. This weeklong workshop helped us to move beyond the pre-existing narrations by questioning the basics and getting to the issue.
I would like to brief about the dissertation idea as it became the curation topic. In the 19th century, a treatise was made between the princely states and the East India Company, for instance, the treaty of 1818 where the British agreed to provide protection to the princely states of Rajasthan against the local groups and Marathas. In return, they became subordinate to the foreign power. They could not expand their territories and an officer or resident stayed in their courts. This also brought peace among the princely states and they diverted their time to the modernization of their lands by promoting technology and reformation in administration and laws as evident after India went to the British crown in 1858.
Through constant interactions among the British officers and residents in the courts, western education, and foreign travels, there was an inclination towards the West. In architecture, Neo classical and Indo Sarsanic were promoted as seen in palaces of princely states such as Hyderabad, Baroda, Jaipur, and Bikaner while other mediums such as naturalism through oil paintings and photography were also favored. These princes found pride in hiring European artists and architects for their projects.
The core of this idea is the works of Stefan Norblin, a versatile artist who came to during the Second World war to Mumbai in 1941 and worked in India till 1944. His major patrons included the princes of Morvi, Patna, and Jodhpur. He painted in various genres including portraits and Indian mythology in Art Deco style. The relation between metropolitan Bombay (1930s-40s) and these princely states, along with their change in taste to this modern art style is evident. It can be said that Art Deco suited their modern lifestyle through the style and reinterpretation of the subject in the works of Stefan Norblin.
The focus shifted to Jodhpur during this period, during the reign of Umaid Singh who patronized this artist to paint murals and interiors of the Umaid Bhawan. These cross-connections between India and Europe paved the way for hybridity through adaptation and acceptance as talked about by post-colonial theorists. Here, through the works of this artist (murals and interiors), understanding them concerning its architecture indicates the Umaid Bhawan as a symbol of new modern Jodhpur.
With research, writing, and art history methodologies, the display aspect was also pondered upon. This curation project was displayed beneath the staircase heading to the art history and aesthetics department. The curve of the staircase suited here as it went with the features of Art Deco architecture. The curatorial note was written by Preet Barot, a masters first-year student. To give it a physical form, the method of collage was used by sticking maps, and images corresponding to texts, connected through thread. Thus, it created an environment of a detective trying to solve and peek into the cross-connections between various aspects such as geography, time, groups, and cultures along with socio-political power relations during the period of the early 20th century.
Text by Saloni Bhojani
Images of the display by Preet Barot
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