Work on 250 paintings from Venkatappa Art Gallery and Government Museum to be taken up first.

Hundreds of heritage paintings, some more than 300 years old, at Bengaluru’s Venkatappa Art Gallery and the Government Museum will be restored to their former glory.

Officials have sought the advice of art consultants to consider the 17th and 18th century museum collections for conservation. Of the 750 paintings in the gallery and the museum, at least one-third, which were sourced nearly 60 years ago for the collections, have considerably faded, aged and even damaged.

“Around 250 paintings from the gallery and museum will be taken up for conservation to restore their glory and extend longevity. Professionals from INTACH Chitrakala Parishath Art Conservation Centre (ICKPAC) made an initial study and submitted a status report with details of conservation,” said C.G. Betsurmath, Commissioner, Department of State Archaeology, Museums and Heritage.

The works selected include drawings, paintings, ivory and plaster of Paris works of artist K. Venkatappa, who was court painter of the then Mysore royals, Mysore and Thanjavur art works, Deccani and Rajput paintings, Rajasthani miniatures of Malwa, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Bundi and Mewar, Rajasthani paintings on cloth, the deft brushes of Bundelkhand, the distinctive Basohli paintings of Jammu and Kashmir, the pictorial art of Kangra in Himachal Pradesh, original oil on canvas Malva painting, the Sikh paintings of Punjab, the South Asian Mughal works and Persian miniatures.

In 2014–15, Rs. 17 lakh was approved for protection of the paintings. “We are getting the amount sanctioned again for this financial year for going ahead with the ICKPAC’s remedy suggestions. The total cost is yet to be finalised as the work will be taken up in phases,” he said.

Though delayed, H.T. Talwar, Director, Archaeology, Museums and Heritage Department, said the conservation efforts would take off soon.

This will be the first time these old paintings will be refurbished. On the importance of the paintings, Mr. Talwar said, “Our gallery and museum boast nearly 15 celebrated painting styles that have adorned the royal palaces of India.”

Artworks to be restored include

‘Epic Ramayana’ done in Mysore style on a 7ft X 7ft canvas with 41 depictions of the Ramayana

Rare Krishna-Rukmini series playing Pagade (game of dice) in the darbar

Portraits of Krishnaraja Wadiyar and his son-in-law Lingaraja Urs.

QUOTES: 

C.G. Bethsurmath, Commissioner, Department of State Archaeology, Museums and Heritage: Nearly 250 paintings from the Venkatappa Art Gallery and the Government Museum are going to be taken up for conservation soon.

H.T. Talwar, Director, Archaeology, Museums and Heritage Department: These heritage-value paintings are precious, as they are priceless, only that they are placed without much fanfare at the museum and gallery.

Madhu Rani K.P., Director, ICKPAC: We have examined in situ 72 paintings and 17 prints at the museum, 32 art objects of Mysore and Thanjavur paintings at the gallery, including some of the best works of painter K. Venkatappa, and suggested conservation remedies that would take nearly 15 months.

Time and human negligence have taken a toll: ICKPAC

The INTACH Chitrakala Parishath Art Conservation Centre (ICKPAC), which has done the initial study on these artworks, says the paintings of historical significance have been ravaged by time and negligence.

“Presence of dust and dirt, high humidity (leading to water stains and fungal growth), improper storage, presence of insects, abrasion of the paintings due to mishandling etc., are a few factors for deterioration,” said Madhu Rani K.P., Director, ICKPAC.

The group had examined 72 paintings and 17 prints at the Government Museum as well as 32 art pieces at Venkatappa Art Gallery.

The ICKPAC will now individually determine the conservation effort required for each object. “Every art object will be approached differently, depending on the material and the techniques used. The paintings would require an estimated 12 to 15 months for treatment,” said Ms. Rani.

Cannons to be sent for conservation

The Government Museum recently added three cannons to its collection and they will soon be sent to the Regional Conservation Laboratory, Mysuru, for conservation. “Two were found near Tipu’s Palace during excavation for Namma Metro work. Another one was found during the work on a building of Bangalore Medical College and Research Centre a few months ago,” said H.T. Talwar, Director, Archaeology, Museums and Heritage Department.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Ranjani Govind / Bengaluru – August 31st, 2015