Ram Mohan Roy
Portrait
ca. 1820 (made)
ca. 1820 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This Company Painting (a painting made by an Indian artist for the British in India) is a portrait of the Hindu reformer Raja Ram Mohan Roy (1772-1833). He came from a distinguished Brahmin family in Bengal. He entered the service of the East India Company and rose to high office, but eventually left to devote his time to the service of his people. Profoundly influenced by European liberalism, Ram Mohan came to the conclusion that Hinduism needed to be radically reformed. He preached equality for women and was active in the abolition of sati (widow burning). Ram Mohan came to England in 1831 as the ambassador of the Mughal emperor Akbar Shah II. On another visit to England he was taken ill with meningitis. He died on 27 September 1833 in Bristol, where he is buried. A statue of him was unveiled there in 1997.
Sir Robert Nathan, who bequeathed the portrait to the V&A, probably purchased it from Muhammad Hussain, a judge of the Small Cause Court in Delhi. Nathan was Private Secretary to the Viceroy in Delhi in 1904-1905.
Sir Robert Nathan, who bequeathed the portrait to the V&A, probably purchased it from Muhammad Hussain, a judge of the Small Cause Court in Delhi. Nathan was Private Secretary to the Viceroy in Delhi in 1904-1905.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Ram Mohan Roy (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Painted in opaque watercolour on ivory |
| Brief description | Painting, portrait of Ram Mohan Roy, opaque watercolour on ivory, Delhi, ca. 1820 |
| Physical description | This painting depicts an oval bust portrait of the Hindu reformer Ram Mohan Roy. |
| Dimensions |
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| Styles | |
| Gallery label | PORTRAIT OF RAM MOHAN ROY (1772-1833)
Watercolour on ivory
Delhi
c. 1820
IM. 256-1921
Given by Sir Robert Nathan, K.C.S.I., C.I.E.
Influenced by western liberalism, the Hindu reformer Ram Mohan Roy promoted the acceptance of the English language and advocated for the equality of women in India. He gained much respect on his diplomatic visit to England in 1831. In this unfinished work, the crudely sliced ivory is exposed, revealing how the material was used before it was cut, mounted and framed.(01/08/2017) |
| Credit line | Given by Sir Robert Nathan, K.C.S.I., C.I.E |
| Object history | From the collection of Sir Robert Nathan (1868-1921), purchased from Maulvi Muhammad Hussain, Judge, Small Claims Court, Delhi. Sir Robert Nathan was Private Secretary to the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon, in 1905; became Chief Secretary to the Government of East Bengal and Assam in 1907, and was Police Commissioner of Dhaka before leaving India in 1914. Given by Sir Robert Nathan, K.C.S.I., C.I.E. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Museum records (Asia Department registers and/or Central Inventory) as part of a 2023 provenance research project. R.P. 1921-4451 |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This Company Painting (a painting made by an Indian artist for the British in India) is a portrait of the Hindu reformer Raja Ram Mohan Roy (1772-1833). He came from a distinguished Brahmin family in Bengal. He entered the service of the East India Company and rose to high office, but eventually left to devote his time to the service of his people. Profoundly influenced by European liberalism, Ram Mohan came to the conclusion that Hinduism needed to be radically reformed. He preached equality for women and was active in the abolition of sati (widow burning). Ram Mohan came to England in 1831 as the ambassador of the Mughal emperor Akbar Shah II. On another visit to England he was taken ill with meningitis. He died on 27 September 1833 in Bristol, where he is buried. A statue of him was unveiled there in 1997. Sir Robert Nathan, who bequeathed the portrait to the V&A, probably purchased it from Muhammad Hussain, a judge of the Small Cause Court in Delhi. Nathan was Private Secretary to the Viceroy in Delhi in 1904-1905. |
| Bibliographic reference | Mildred Archer, Company Paintings: Indian Paintings of the British Period, (London: V&A, 1992), pp. 244-5.
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | IM.256-1921 |
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| Record created | December 15, 1999 |
| Record URL |
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