The DAG gallery, in collaboration with the Kasturbhai Lalbhai Museum, has brought an exhibition, ‘Birds of India’, to Ahmedabad for the very first time. The exhibition features a selection of exquisite Company Paintings from the gallery’s collection, showcasing a diverse and vibrant birdlife of India.
Curated by Dr Giles Tillotson, Senior Vice President of Exhibitions at DAG, the Birds of India exhibition highlights a unique blend of Mughal and European artistic traditions. These late 18th and early 19th-century works, commissioned by the East India Company, capture the beauty of Indian birds with stunning detail and artistry. The paintings, which reflect the cultural exchange between British patrons and Indian artists, are a testament to a hybrid art style of rare beauty.
The exhibition featured 125 paintings, opened on October 3, 2024, at the Kasturbhai Lalbhai Museum and will run for five weeks. Visitors can expect to see a diverse array of bird species, including raptors, game birds, coastal waders and forest birds – some familiar and others now scarce. The exhibition has also been accompanied by a comprehensive book offering an in-depth study of avifauna through Company Paintings, the first of its kind in India.
On behalf of Dr Giles Tillotson, Vibes of India spoke to Ritu Vajpeyi-Mohan, Sr. Vice President of Exhibitions, DAG, who explained about choosing to portray the birds in the exhibition.
“Birds are a part of the genre of painting and DAG is very enthusiastic about it. Over a period of time, we have built up our collection and now we wish to showcase it not only in our gallery but across the world,” she said.
DAG’s CEO and Managing Director Ashish Anand said, “DAG has been an ardent champion of Indian art over the last three decades. With Birds of India, a first-of-its-kind exhibition dedicated to avifauna in the subcontinent, we are taking that responsibility forward. This exhibition strengthens our collaboration with art institutions and engagement with art lovers across the country.”
The exhibition follows DAG’s successful partnership with London’s Wallace Collection in 2019 for ‘Forgotten Masters: Indian Painting for the East India Company. Birds of India further the gallery’s mission to bring the lesser-known but historically significant Company Paintings to a wider audience.
Vibes of India spoke to Jayshree Lalbhai, trustee of the Kasturbhai Lalbhai Museum, who shared her excitement about hosting the exhibition in Ahmedabad.
“The museum’s setting of lush greenery and abundant bird sightings is ideal for showcasing these exquisite paintings. Over the years, the museum has hosted a range of art exhibitions that celebrate the cultural diversity of our country, and this one holds a special place in my heart as my family are avid birders. We are thrilled to share this exhibition with the people of Ahmedabad,” she noted.
This exhibition offers a rare opportunity to experience the beauty of Indian birdlife through the lens of Company Paintings, an artistic style that combines the precision of Mughal atelier-trained artists with the influence of European aesthetics. Visitors to the Kasturbhai Lalbhai Museum are sure to be captivated by the exceptional works on display.
Birds have always been featured in Indian art. Some geese, somewhat idealised, and endowed with luxuriant crests, appear in the Ajanta murals. Naturalistic portraits of recognisable species reached perfection in Mughal art under Emperor Jahangir. Connected developments emerged out of that Mughal practice in the late 18th century in Lucknow and Calcutta, where artists worked for commissions from European patrons. The pioneering efforts of General Claude Martin, Lady Impey and Dr. William Roxburgh and their artists inspired others, giving rise to a larger body of Company Paintings dedicated to natural history. Marking a landmark moment of cultural exchange, this exhibition celebrates the rare amalgamation of artistic practices from India and Europe and aims to contribute to the ornithological studies making this a pioneering exhibition in the evolving study of Indian art history undertaken by DAG.
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