EDUCATION
- 1888-96 Studied under the guidance of Principal
John Griffiths and Chiranjilal, J.J. School of Art,
Bombay. Studied at British Academy, Rome.
EXHIBITIONS
1894 Bombay Fine Art Exhb., Bombay. 1902 Exhb., Simla
Fine Art Society, Simla. 1907, 09, 39 Annual Exhb. Bombay
Art Society, Bombay. 1911 Solo exhb., Dore Gallery,
London. Exhb. New Burlington Gallery, London. Exhb.,
Royal Society of Portrait Painting, London. 1912 Exhb.
inaugurated by Her Excellency Lady Clarke, Hall of Elphinstone
High School, Bombay. 2004 Manifestations II, organised
by Delhi Art Gallery, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai and
Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi.
COLLECTION
National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi. Prince of
Wales Museum, Mumbai. Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Gallery Chemould, Mumbai. Jane and Kito de Boer, Dubai.
AWARDS
1894 Awarded Silver Medal and Cash Prize of Rs. 70,
Bombay Fine Art Exhb., Bombay. 1907 Gold Medal, Annual
Exhb., Bombay Art Society, Bombay. 1908 Gold Medal from
cricketer J.M. Framji Patel, Annual Exhb., Bombay Art
Society, Bombay. 1909 Gold Medal, Annual Exhb., Bombay
Art Society, Bombay. 1894-1911 Awarded 24 Gold and Silver
Medals and 45 Cash Prizes.
STYLE
Pithawalla portrayed the lives and likenesses of his
patrons, the aristocracy and haute bourgeoisie, to advantage.
At a deeper level, his portraiture enshrined the values
of this elite, comprising merchant-princes, lawyers,
landowners and their ladies. Through his rendering of
detail- the sitters expressions and gestures, the fall
of light on their rich but discreet clothes, the gleam
of wood panelling, the exquisite highlights on chinaware-
Pithawalla memorialised the values of Indias Victorian
colonial establishment: worldly success and ethical
striving, self-assurance and permanence.
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