A Merchant From Surat

Pestonji Bomanji’s A Merchant from Surat shows off his mastery of academic realism, but also offers an insight into the social world of nineteenth-century India. The merchant is shown in a serene and stately manner, and his expression and stance impart an air of confidence and self-possession. But the first thing that strikes one is his dress that includes the red turban and bindi, the light coral shawl embroidered with lots of colour, and the white shirt and dark outer garment. These details help the sitter to emerge not just as any merchant, but as one with a recognisable social and cultural identity. Bomanji’s meticulous treatment of face, fabrics and textures demonstrates his ability to capture physical likeness and character. The emphasis on dress, though, also lends an ethnographic element to the portrait, showing us how identity and status might be expressed through dress. The painting is also interesting as Bomanji has used a Western academic style of realistic portraiture to depict an Indian subject. He adapts them to record the appearance and social identity of his sitter rather than just copying European conventions. Thus the portrait functions both as an individual likeness and as a visual record of the changing artistic and social landscape of colonial India.