Still Life

This is an excellent example of the Academic Realism style of still life painting by the artist Pestonji Bomanji (1851–1938). This style was introduced in India by the colonial art institutions like the Sir J. J. School of Art in Bombay. Bomanji was one of the early Indian painters who were trained in Academic Realism style of naturalism. The composition shows an abundant collection of oranges, mangoes and other fruits neatly arranged on a shallow metal tray. There are also other elements that enhance the fruit composition including the glass decanter, the glass that one drinks from, a knife and also pieces of the fruit, hence creating an intimate setting of the home. The painter uses a warm color scheme made up of various colors including orange, yellow, ochre and dull green on the dark brown-black background. The dark background creates a sense of contrast through the use of chiaroscuro with the bright colors of the fruit. In the paintings of Academic Realism style, there is a particular emphasis on the depiction of textures and tones and play of light and shadows. It should be noted that the painting shows not only the style of painting of the artist, but also his training as an artist. Pestonji Bomanji was born in Bombay to a Parsi family. At the age of thirteen he joined the J. J. School of Art, and after graduating from there he took part in the famous work on documenting the Ajanta mural paintings. He became mainly known as a portrait painter, but his academic training made him an extremely skilled painter of still lives. In general, the painting represents the combination of European academic technique and visual culture of nineteenth-century Bombay.