Robert Gill
Robert Gill | |
---|---|
![]() Gill at Ajanta | |
Born | [1] Hackney, London, England | 26 September 1804
Died | 10 April 1879[2] en route from Ajanta to Bhusawal, India. | (aged 74)
Resting place | European Cemetery, Bhusawal 21°3′2.39″N 75°47′43.47″E / 21.0506639°N 75.7954083°E |
Occupation(s) | Army officer, artist, photographer, sportsman |
Known for | copying the paintings of Ajanta Caves. |
Spouse | Frances Flowerdew Rickerby[1] |
Partner(s) | Paro, a native girl of Ajanta[3] |
Major Robert Gill (1804–1879)
Biography
Family and military service
Gill was born in
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/01/Ajanta_dancing_girl_now_and_then.jpg/230px-Ajanta_dancing_girl_now_and_then.jpg)
Career
Gill was a member of
Arriving at Ajanta in early 1845, he completed an initial survey and inspection, submitting a report the same year. He began to ship completed paintings back to London in 1847, where many were exhibited at the museum of the
Gill remained based at Ajanta for the rest of his life, also making tours to other ancient sites in India. He took up photography, including stereoscopy, in about 1856, and much of his photographic work is published in two books, The Rock-Cut Temples of India,[14] and One Hundred Stereoscopic Illustrations of Architecture and Natural History in Western India, with notes by James Fergusson.[4][8][12][15][16]
Gill's surviving photographs, drawings, and paintings are constantly cited by scholars of Ajanta and Indian art generally, as they have preserved the memories of original painted surfaces that have undergone significant flaking. Accelerated deterioration began immediately upon the caves' rediscovery starting in 1819. According to the Victoria and Albert Museum, even in Gill's time the original cave paintings could be seen suffering damage from frequent, unsupervised visitation and also from "swarms of bees and bats."[5] Gill's works also record the condition of the stonework at the time; some sections have since been lost, such as the portico to Cave 1,[17] and others considerably repaired and tidied. Many of his plans, drawings, and photographs are available online at the British Library and other places.[18]
Death and burial
Like many other British Indian officers of those days, Gill was an avid hunter and killed about 150
Modern interpretations
In 2012, a Marathi language film, Ajintha, was made based on his work and love story with a native girl Paro.[19]
Bibliography
Footnotes
- ^ Upadhyay 1994, p. 1 notes that Fide Jesus, a native, had drawn and lithographed these paintings before Robert Gill (c. 1836) those were published in 1847.
References
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- ^ Rootsweb. Retrieved 24 October 2012. This is a mail by Major Gill's descendant, which contains some valuable information.[dead link]
- ^ a b c Inscription on tombstone, which also states his age was 75
- West Chester University of Pennsylvania. Archived from the originalon 5 May 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
- ^ a b c d e Buckland 1906, p. 166
- ^ Victoria & Albert Museum. Retrieved 24 October 2012.)
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ Parish registers of St Luke's, Chelsea.
- ^ Madras Military Fund records (1808–1862)
- ^ a b c d e Gordon, 234–238
- ^ Family history research by Tony Hadland, a descendant of Robert Gill.
- ^ Detail from this painting in the V&A
- ^ Fergusson's book was The Rock-cut Temples of India, published in 1845. Gibson, pp 230–234
- ^ a b c d e Rohatgi, Pauline; Godrej, Pheroza (March 2009). "Reflections of Change". Indian Life and Landscapes by Western Artists. Mumbai: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS). Archived from the original on 7 September 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
- ^ Gordon, 235
- ^ Ferguson, James (9 April 2008). "The Rock Cut Temples of India" (Albumen prints). India and Beyond in Books and Photography. Bonhams Auctioneer. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
- ^ Gordon, 236–238; Gill, Robert (26 March 2009). "General view of Buddhist Caves II-XXVI, Ajanta" (Photographic print). British Library. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
- ^ Gill, Robert, photographer; Fergusson, James, description (1864). One hundred stereoscopic illustrations of architecture and natural history in western India. London: Cundall, Downes.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Compare Gill's photo with a modern view
- ^ Search page for British Library online collections
- ^ "Ajintha-the film". Chandrakant Production Pvt. Ltd. 2012. Archived from the original on 28 October 2012.
Sources
- Buckland, Charles Edwards (1906). Dictionary of Indian Biography. Haskell House Publishers. p. 166.
- Gordon, Sophie (2011). Monumental visions: architectural photography in India, 1840–1901 (PhD thesis, SOAS, University of London. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
- Patel, Divia – Curator, Asian Department; Costaras, Nicola – Head Paintings Conservator (Spring 2006). "Conserving the copies of the Ajanta cave paintings at the V&A". Conservation Journal (52). Victoria & Albert Museum. Retrieved 24 October 2012.)
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - Upadhyay, Om Dutt (1994). The art of Ajanta and Sopoćani : a comparative study: an enquiry in prāṇa aesthetics. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publisher. pp. 2–3. ISBN 9788120809901.