Panaji, December 2025: DAG, in collaboration with the Department of Tourism, Government of Goa, has opened A Treasury of Life: Indian Company Paintings, c. 1790–1835, the most comprehensive exhibition of Company Paintings ever presented in India. The exhibition is on view from 2 December 2025 to 14 January 2026 at the Aguad Port & Jail Complex, following a private preview held on 1 December.
Curated by art historian Giles Tillotson, Senior Vice President, DAG, the exhibition brings together nearly 200 artworks from DAG’s collection, highlighting an underexplored yet crucial phase in Indian art history. Company Paintings, created by Indian artists commissioned by the East India Company in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, reflect a period of artistic transition where traditional Indian styles merged with Western techniques and patronage.
Long considered marginal—neither fully classical nor modern—Company Painting is presented in A Treasury of Life as a vital precursor to Indian modernism. The exhibition demonstrates how Indian artists adapted to new demands, subjects, and formats, producing innovative visual narratives that documented a rapidly changing society.
The exhibition is structured around three key themes: natural history, depicting India’s flora and fauna with scientific detail and artistic sensitivity; architecture and landscape, recording historic sites and cityscapes through a blend of Indian and European styles; and Indian manners and customs, portraying everyday life, occupations, religious practices, and sacred idols. Together, these works serve as rare visual records of ecosystems, architecture, and social worlds that have since transformed or disappeared.
Speaking at the inauguration, Tourism Minister Rohan A. Khaunte said the exhibition brings national and global attention to an extraordinary era of Indian artistic achievement, reinforcing Goa’s growing role as a centre for heritage-driven cultural experiences. Ashish Anand, CEO and MD of DAG, noted that the exhibition builds on DAG’s long-standing efforts to foreground Company Paintings as foundational to the development of Indian modern art.
Director of Tourism Kedar Naik said the exhibition strengthens Goa’s cultural calendar and promotes meaningful tourism rooted in learning and heritage, while GTDC Managing Director Kuldeep Arolkar highlighted its contribution to enriching visitors’ engagement with art and history. Savio Mathias, VP Operations and Business Development at Aguad Port and Jail Complex, said hosting an exhibition of this calibre reflects efforts to position Aguad as a destination where art, history, and culture intersect.
While many Company artists remain anonymous, the exhibition features works by known masters such as Sita Ram, Sewak Ram, and Chuni Lal, alongside reference works by European artists including James Forbes, F.B. Solvyns, and Charles Gold, offering insight into the visual material available to Indian painters of the time.
Accompanied by a scholarly publication with essays by leading international experts, A Treasury of Life repositions Company Painting as an essential chapter in India’s artistic journey—capturing a moment when Indian artists moved beyond royal patronage to engage with new audiences, laying the groundwork for modern Indian art.
