Colonial Collectors: The Tata Bequests of Nineteenth-Century European Paintings in the Mumbai Museum

With few exceptions, the European paintings given to the Prince of Wales Museum, Bombay (now the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai) by Sir Ratan Tata (1871-1918) remain unpublished. This article calls attention to some of the best unpublished 19th century pictures purchased by Ratan and his elder brother Dorab (1859-1932), some of which are classic Victorian paintings, while others are by Royal Academicians and obscure artists who await serious study. The brothers' taste for modern art was consistently conservative, following the impetus of the British Raj by promoting the merits of Western academic naturalism, as reflected in their choices of Lawrence, Constable, Frith, Brett and Boudin. (Quotes from original text)