Rare colonial-era artworks, documents showcased at Hyderabad’s State Gallery of Art

Titled 'Hindustan Files', the show will be run until April 7. Organised by Kolkata’s Virasat Art Publication, an archive and art-restoration house, the exhibits will focus on the period between 1757 and 1950.

Hyderabad: Letters authored by Rabindranath Tagore bearing his signature, a photograph capturing Subash Chandra Bose riding a bike, paintings and documents, showcasing aspects such as the freedom movement, architecture, wars, religious practices, and social life, communication exchanged between Viceroys and Indian leaders during British colonial era— nearly 500 rarely-seen paintings and documents are currently on display at Hyderabad’s State Gallery of Art.

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Titled ‘Hindustan Files’, the show will be run until April 7. Organised by Kolkata’s Virasat Art Publication, an archive and art-restoration house, the exhibits will focus on the period between 1757 and 1950.

“The aim is to showcase the changing socio-political milieu of India during British rule. These artworks, photographs, documents, manuscripts, and letters have been collected from various sources worldwide, including purchases from auctions and requests made to governments,” said curator Ganesh Pratap Singh of Virasat Art Publication.

The focus of the exhibition is Company School paintings— a style of miniature painting that developed in India in the second half of the 18th century in response to the tastes of the British serving with the East India Company. The exhibition will feature around 300 paintings, which serve as visual narratives.

“History is not just about wars and rulers but about the ordinary people, the subalterns, and their transition which often remains unrecorded in official documentation. These painters depict administrative activities, military movements, religious and social festivals, and everyday life,” Pratap Singh added.

The exhibition showcases diverse highlights including paintings the 1857 mutiny, impeachment of Warren Hastings, Kalinghat scrolls, Kansaripara lithographic prints, vintage books, rare documents, photographs, and letters.

Administrative documents are underscored as crucial sources of information for students and researchers. Further, the exhibition is being accompanied by seminars, slide shows, literary and performing arts events, and publications.