A portrait of a city: Mumbai’s vintage vibe expressed through portraits of OG influencers

The exhibition presents portraits of people and communities that shaped the political, cultural and civic life of Bombay

MUMBAI: There is an elaborate Maharashtrian pearl nath (nose ring), even longer pearl earrings, which extend with a hook behind the ears, the bun is decorated with an orange gajra (a string of flowers), and a shawl draped over a gorgeous sari – it’s the portrait of Bal Gandharva (1888 - 1967), a legendary Marathi singer and actor known for playing leading female characters in Marathi musicals. He was also considered a fashion icon, known for his beautiful saris, which, according to some accounts, were custom-made. The portrait is painted in resplendent feminine glory by artist MV Dhurandhar (1867 - 1944).

Face to face: A portrait of a city: Mumbai’s vintage vibe expressed through portraits of OG influencers

The canvas is one of the highlights of Face to Face: A Portrait of a City, an exhibition of 30 paintings at the DAG Gallery, which will open on Thursday.

The exhibition presents portraits of people and communities that shaped the political, cultural and civic life of Bombay, and within them are the stories of how the city looked and felt then. “For instance, Gandharva’s portrait tells us how open and modern Bombay was then to celebrate a man who dressed like a woman and played female roles,” says Ritu Vajpeyi Mohan, senior vice president of DAG.

The works also map how the city’s art practice evolved from colonial times to post-Independence, and through the pivotal art movement led by the Progressive Artists’ Group. “Stylistically, these portraits range from the academic or realistic to the impressionistic and expressionistic. But a portrait is never just a picture. It allows us a glimpse into relationships – those between the sitter and the painter, for instance, but also how the subject would like to present himself or herself; or how the artist understands the personality behind the visage, the person behind the face, and interpret it through expression and body language,” says Ashish Anand, CEO and managing director of DAG.

Then there are portraits of influential Parsi men and women and their families that project the community’s influence in the city’s cultural and philanthropic life. A portrait of Sir Jamsetji Jeejeebhoy, India’s first baronet, shows him in traditional Parsi attire, including the iconic black paghdi or pheta. Rising from modest beginnings as a trader, Jeejeebhoy became one of the country’s most important philanthropists, supporting hospitals, schools, infrastructure and relief projects across Bombay. “His portrait places the Parsi community prominently within the city’s public history,” says Mohan.

Complementing this work is M F Pithawalla’s painting of a Parsi woman, which illustrates the position of these women in society. They were at the forefront of civic, cultural and philanthropic work, and these portraits project them as confident and modern women, explains Mohan.

Turning to the political weather of the time, V B Pathare’s portrait of Dr B R Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution, anchors him within the city’s intellectual and political milieu. The work reflects his deep ties to Bombay through his studies at Elphinstone College, his professorship at Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics, his election to the Bombay Provincial Legislative Assembly and his Marathi origins.

These portraits are a glimpse into the city’s vintage vibe and a teaser to what is to come. DAG will open a 200-work exhibition in February titled Bombay Framed: People, Memory, Metropolis that tells the city’s stories through its music, food and architecture through the eyes of seven writers and poets.

(The exhibition will be on at DAG Gallery, at Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai, from January 8 to 11.)