Nov 27, 2021 - Apr 19, 2022
Special Projects Space I & II
Works of art made by Indian artists for Western patrons in the early colonial period are what we now call Company Painting. The artists, who might otherwise have worked for an Indian court, sought new markets among those employed in various capacities by the European trading companies, and especially the British East India Company. Some patrons supplied the artists with new materials such as European-made paper and transparent watercolour pigments, and expressed preferences regarding subject matter, leading to new departures in both style and substance in Indian art. One of the most delightful genres of Company painting was Natural History: images of India’s plants, animals and birds.
The core of this exhibition is an album of 99 paintings of birds, painted by unknown hands, in Bengal around 1800. Sadly we do not know the names of the artists, or even that of the original collector, though the flyleaf has notes indicating that for a long period the album belonged to a family called Cunninghame Graham. The birds depicted include raptors, game birds, coastal waders and many woodland and forest birds, some very familiar and several that are now scarce.
The group from the Cunninghame Graham album is supplemented by three smaller sets dating from between 1810 and 1835. Eight folios painted in Kolkata around 1810 are among the finest works on natural history produced in India. Fourteen are from the Faber Album, dated to c. 1830, and the final four are by a named artist – Chuni Lal of Patna – and come from the Inge album of c. 1835. Together the four groups illustrate the development of Company painting in a single genre. The artists capture not just the appearance but the character of the birds, and the images will surely appeal to lovers of nature as well as of art.
Saturday, 19 March 2022, 9:20 am - 11:00 am
There are 7 Humboldt penguins and 176 birds of 21 different species at Mumbai’s Zoo - Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan. What is the original habitat of these birds? What do they eat? What are the different species? Dr. Raju Kasambe will share his insights and help us learn more about these birds!
Age: 18 and above
Charges: Rs. 100, Museum entry ticket applicable
With Katie Bagli
Sunday, 3 April 2022, 9:30 am - 11:00 am
Join us with Katie Bagli on a birding adventure! As we go around the aviary in the Mumbai Zoo, we'll learn how to spot, identify and observe birds and their calls. The aviary visit will be followed by a walkthrough of the exhibition.
Charges: Rs. 100, Museum entry ticket applicable
With Katie Bagli
Sunday, 12 December 2021, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Join us for this storytelling session and learn some bizarre trivia about these feathered friends, get regaled by a feathery story, and give wings to your imagination in a fun activity.
Age: 8 years and above
With Dr. Raju Kasambe
Saturday, 26 February 2021, 4:30 - 5:30 pm
Mumbai is home to a wide range of locally found and migratory bird species. Join us online for a session with Dr. Raju Kasambe and explore the birds you can spot at various locations and in different seasons in Mumbai!
Age 10 and above. Adults are welcome to join.
Language: Marathi
23 December 2021
Go on a trail through the Museum to spot these birds in our collection! Check out the story #BirdsatBDL in our highlights. How many can you identify? Share pictures of the object where you spot these birds with us on social media by tagging us @bdlmuseum on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter!
With Sherline Pimenta K
Sunday, 30 January 2022, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Join us with Sherline Pimenta and listen to the stories about the Sandpiper bird. Followed by an activity where you get to draw your own Sandpiper!
In collaboration with STEAM Academy
Thursday, 10 February 2022, 11 am - 12 pm
Join us for a session on how to decode the songs and calls of birds, which will provide fascinating insights into the various bird species surrounding you. The session will also discuss the evolution of feathers and their functions.
Age: Grade 7 - 9
Sunday, 9 January 2022, 11 am - 12 pm
Join us for a fun activity this Sunday as we learn how to make origami birds step by step.
Age: 5 - 10 years
Saturday, 9 April 2022, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Join us on an interactive tour of the exhibition. The tour will be followed by a fun family game of Bingo, where participants independently explore and discover the feathery friends depicted in the Museum’s permanent collection.
The Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Mumbai City Museum seeks to serve the community as an Institution dedicated to excellence in cultural education through exhibitions and unique visual and intellectual media
An Institution of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. Supported by the Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation. Restored by INTACH, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage
Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum
Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Udyan and Zoo (Rani Baug),
91/A, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road,
Byculla East Mumbai 400027 India
T: +91 22 23741234
10:00 am - 5:30 pm
Closed on all Wednesdays and select public holidays.
