Picture of a Lady

Manchershaw Fakirjee Pithawallas Picture of a Lady is an example of the academic realist tradition that grew in India during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The painting shows a woman in a close bust-length portrait making the face, expression and carefully drawn appearance the first thing someone sees. Pithawalla, who studied at the Sir J. J. School of Art in Bombay shows an understanding of academic realism through his gentle way of handling form, skin tone, hair and clothes. The womans face, shaped gently is very important because the small changes in light and dark give her face a feeling of depth and presence. Her dark arranged hair stands out against her pale skin while the soft folds and details of her dress show the artists care for texture and material. The simple background keeps the person as the focus making a personal feeling between the person being painted and the person looking. Of showing the woman as just a perfect figure Pithawalla gives her a real presence with her direct look and calm face. The painting also shows the way visual culture was changing in India, when Indian artists started using and changing European academic methods. His use of oil helps him get changes, realistic skin colors and detailed work on the clothes and hair. In the end Picture of a Lady mixes skills with a quiet feeling of personality making the portrait not just about looks but also about the rising value of personal portraits, in modern Indian art.