Archive · 24 Jun 2025
Colonial Gaze: British Company Paintings and Indian Caste
Imagine the British, who came to India a long time ago, wanted to understand everything about the people living there.
They hired artists to paint pictures of Indian life.
These 'Company paintings' showed different jobs, customs, and the different groups of people.
One British officer, Charles Gold, wrote about these paintings.
But, he saw Indian culture through a certain view.
It showed a bias, viewing some Indian customs as primitive to show they were there to help.
These old paintings are still important, because they give us an idea of what it was like back then, but they can be biased because they were made from a biased viewpoint.
They show how the British saw India, which is complicated because it wasn't always accurate.
Company paintings, commissioned by the British East India Company, documented Indian life, customs, and caste.
Indian artists adapted to European demands, blending Western styles with Mughal and Nawabi traditions.
Captain Charles Gold's 'Oriental Drawings' presented various castes and occupations, often through an Orientalist lens.
Gold's commentary revealed colonial biases, framing Indian customs as 'barbaric' and justifying British intervention.
These colonial records, despite their intent, continue to impact contemporary India's caste hierarchies.
- Who
- British artists, Indian artists, Captain Charles Gold, and the British East India Company.
- What
- A summary of how British Company paintings and records, like Captain Charles Gold's 'Oriental Drawings', portrayed Indian caste and culture during the colonial era, reflecting colonial biases.
- When
- The late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
- Where
- India.
- Why
- To understand and document India for governance, strategic knowledge, and to satisfy European curiosity and reinforce colonial narratives.
Colonial Perspective
Indian Perspective
Portrayal of Indians
Colonial Perspective
British saw themselves as civilizers and reformers, attempting to portray Indians
Indian Perspective
Indians were often depicted in subservient roles, reinforcing societal biases and caste-based discrimination
- Painting Style
- Combination of European and Indian styles
- Patronage
- British East India Company
- Focus
- Indian customs, occupations, and caste
- Artist Types
- British and Indian artists
- Primary Source
- Trades and Caste Albums
- Key Figure
- Captain Charles Gold
- Gold's Work
- Oriental Drawings