In Kolhapur, often called Kalapur, a city of the arts, artistic and cultural activity flourished in the early twentieth century, with artists such as M. V. Dhurandhar, Abalal Rahiman, and Baburao Painter shaping its cultural life, as modern visual technologies such as painting, photography, and cinema took root in the state.
In one of her recollections, Bhanu Athaiya, artist and India's first Oscar Winner, writes of her birthplace, Kolhapur, being a melting pot of creativity. “It was common to see painters propping up their easels on a portable stand and doing landscapes in watercolours. The temple with its grand architecture, the Sandhya Math with the Shalini Palace in the background, and the Panchganga river were amongst my favourite scenes.” Bhanu Athaiya recalls having seen M. V. Dhurandhar painting along the Panchganga, a scene she would later compare to Paris, where, “instead of the Seine, we had the Panchganga." She also remembers gazing at M. V. Dhurandhar’s works at the Kolhapur Palace, who also served as a court painter across princely states in the Western Deccan.
Life-size unique photograph/poster of M.V. Dhurandhar's work. Bhanu Athaiya Estate
Ganpatrao ‘Annasaheb’ Rajopadhye, Bhanu Athaiya’s father, came of age in a period of intense artistic activity in Kolhapur. Self-taught and deeply engaged with painting, photography, and cinema, he travelled to Mumbai to collect books on art and built a wide-ranging visual practice. Their home became a space where artists and filmmakers gathered—figures such as Baburao Painter and Dhurandhar himself visited, discussed work, and spent time in conversation. Rajopadhye practiced photography and maintained a darkroom, and within such a setting, paintings were also photographed, as seen here in this image of Dhurandhar’s work, though the photographer remains unidentified. Perhaps given Annasaheb's penchant for photography, it is possible that he may have taken a picture of this work.
M.V. Dhurandhar, Marathi Lady, NGMA
A portrait of a Marathi woman in profile, wearing a black Paithani saree with gold zari, along with a nath, necklaces, and traditional ear ornaments. The drape, jewellery, and bearing situate her within an upper-caste, urban Maharashtrian milieu.
Born in Kolhapur, M. V. Dhurandhar was among the most prominent academic painters working in western India, known for rendering figures from contemporary Indian life within an academic realist framework. His work maintained a balance between academic training and indigenous subject matter, often drawing from everyday social worlds.
Portrait of Annasaheb Rajopadhye's mother. In the original state prior to cleaning
A portrait of Annasaheb Rajopadhye's mother, depicting traditional Marathi jewellery and drape. Coming from the circle of Ganpatrao ‘Annasaheb’ Rajopadhye, and situated within a milieu where artists such as Dhurandhar were in close proximity, the work invites comparison, while remaining unattributed.
