Baburao Krishnarao Mestry, famously called Baburao Painter, was undoubtedly a multi-talented individual skilled in painting, sculpture, film production, photography and mechanical engineering. Baburao's artworks including paintings and sculptures were essential to his identity as a self-taught artist, he gained artistic skills by studying European art displayed in the museums of Anudh, Vadodara, and Mumbai. Mestry’s official title as a ‘Painter’ came before his career in filmmaking, highlighting his technical skill across different genres, such as portraits, landscapes and mythological themes. Consequently, the scenic design and backgrounds of his subsequent films drew from his understanding of theatre, costumes and lighting gained from his visual portfolio.
Along with tranquil local scenery, he was highly in demand for his lifelike portraiture which conveyed the exact resemblance and emotional richness of his subjects. Nadi Kachi Madhur Smriti for instance, can be roughly interpreted as "Sweet Memories by the Riverbank" or "Daydream Beside the River" representing a peak and notably important rare oil painting from the 1930s. Created in the late 1920s with the backing of Kolhapur's forward-thinking Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, the artwork signifies a pivotal moment in Indian modern art. It is positioned between the nationalist pursuit of a native identity and Western academic realism, popularised by Raja Ravi Varma.
The figure is placed centrally in a vertical format, commanding the viewer's attention. The oil paint employs a muted, earthy toned palette dominated by cool blues, soft and warm greys & ochres. Light is diffused, melancholic, softly highlighting the contours of her face, arms and the metallic sheen of the water pot to evoke specific psychological moods rather than just illuminate a scene. The brush strokes present a distinct tension between the smooth academic realism of the skin and saree drapery which was a defining art movement during the period under consideration (the 1900s) characterised by fusion of European oil painting techniques amalgamating indigenous Indian mythological elements and themes.
It is not only the detail oriented piece but also a very unique depiction of “Saraswati” The delicate crown or diadem (mukut) atop her head forms a vivid, contrasting duality with her plain saree, unshod feet, and the functional copper pot (ghara). In contrast to the subjects of Ravi Varma, who typically engage with the viewer in a dramatic manner her gaze here is gentle, reflective and somewhat turned away. She isn't posing, she is captured in a significant pause between actions. By introducing the diverging river in the backgrounds of the realist, naturalistic landscape, Baburao Painter alludes to the ancient Rigvedic hymns, singing Saraswati as both a goddess and a holy rivercourse.
Nadi Kachi Madhur Smriti successfully humanizes the divine rendering the goddess as a regular, contemplative Indian woman daydreaming by a river. The historical space between the divine and the earthly is covered by Baburao Painter. He confronts the idealised and rigid construction with subtle psychological components and cinematic atmospheres in contrast to traditional calendar art, which used to present perfect and prevalent imagery. From an academic standpoint this picture serves as a monumental example of early 20th-century Indian modernism demonstrating how the ancient heritage can be drastically reinterpreted from a realistic current perspective.
Nadi Kachi Madhur Smiriti, created by Baburao Painter in 1930, represents a modernistic representation of the ancient goddess of wisdom, Saraswati. She is shown standing barefoot on a rocky riverbank, holding a Kalash with both hands, and her gaze focused outside the purview of the canvas. She is wearing a saree, and her divinity is marked by a small diadem on her head. Rejecting the traditional iconography of Saraswati like Veena and Swan, the artist has chosen a natural setting with a river flowing behind her. The particular choice of a river can be traced back to the ancient Vedic period, where Saraswati is revered both as a deity and a river. The composition of the painting and its background indicate the influence of Raja Ravi Varma’s work of the 19th century, where the main focus is put on the central figure of a woman, and her garments, jewellery and facial expressions are rendered carefully.
