Description

Mahadev Vishwanath Dhurandhar (1867-1944) studied at the Sir J. J. School of Art between 1890 and 1895. He was also the first Indian director (1919 -1935) of the J J School of Art. In 1910, he became the Head Master and from 1918-31 Inspector of Drawing and Craft. He was the Vice-Principal for two years and then retired. His popular works include documenting the city of Bombay and its people, as well as painting scenes from Hindu mythology and Omar Khayyam series.

A prolific artist, Dhurandhar's paintings and illustrations were turned into lithographic prints for the book Women of India by Otto Rothfield (1920). Dhurandhar also designed postcards, provided the illustrations for the S. M. Edwardes By-Ways of Bombay (1912) and C. A. Kincaid's Deccan Nursery Tales, besides drawing cartoons for the Gujarati periodicals Aram and Bhoot. He also made religious illustrations published by the Ravi Varma Press.

Particularly skilled with watercolours, Dhurandhar became an illustrator and portraitist of great repute.This work was executed just one year after his graduation. It exudes Dhurandhar's mastery over the watercolor medium, even at a young age.