Title
Portrait of a Parsi Gentleman
Year/Period
1930-1939
Region
India
Object Type
Material
Technique
Dimension
Frame size: 86.5 x 71.5 x 6.5 cm,
Image size: 72.5 x 57.0 cm
Image size: 72.5 x 57.0 cm
Accession No.
2022-00344
Collection of
The painting, signed by a “L. Roychoudhury”, features a seated Parsi gentleman. In the background, to the right, hangs a portrait of the Zoroastrian prophet, Zarathustra. Academic-styled portraiture using oil on canvas first appeared in India in the 18th century. Parsi patronage of the art form in India commenced only in the middle of the 19th century, likely as result of the community’s growing wealth and significance from engaging in the fields of trade, commerce, and industry. Sitters were often depicted standing or sitting against a backdrop that related to the sitter’s profession. Such portraits were typically commissioned to honour the sitter for their contributions.
