A pencil sketch of a steward at the Bombay Gymkhana Club, part of art collector Mrinal Kapadia’s collection, is up for sale. The sketch Kapadia thinks has added resonance since the Club at Fort is marking its 150th anniversary this year. The sketch is captioned ‘The Steward — Bombay Gymkhana Club’ — Anonymous. (Undated, circa 1900)’. The caption was given by the artist. Kapadia has pegged the price at Rs 75,000 to Rs 1,00,000 for the pencil sketch. Kapadia explained, “The price range is negotiable given the interest around the anniversary. It is an unsigned sketch, and the medium is ‘graphite on wove’ or ‘pencil sketch’ in layman’s terms.”
Reverse side of the paper with a lady and an unfinished sketch of the steward (right) Sketch of the steward. Pics/Ashish Raje
The collection
Kapadia, the Kemps Corner-based collector who is into antique visual art related to the city and Western India with his venture called India Visual Art Archive (IVAA), cast an expert eye on the work and said, “It seems to be made in the late 1800s or the early 1900s. I bought it in 2022, at an art gallery near Bath in the United Kingdom (UK). I bought it because it fit in with the subject of old Bombay, which is the basis of my collection. It is currently held privately in my collection.” He added that the core of his collection is antique maps, prints, and rare books on old Bombay, along with manuscript (watercolours, oils, and sketches) works and memorabilia.
Not doodling
Specifically about the sketch, Kapadia said, “It is 24 cm in height and 17 cm in width, and even though unsigned, it is captioned. I can attest there is very minor ageing.” Kapadia analysed, “When I look at the steward sketch, I think a caricaturist on Bombay (think Mario Miranda) would depict a scene/person with certain aspects that would make them stand out; when I think of club/gymkhana culture of Bombay even today, I think of bureaucratic waiters with personalities, often slowly hobbling over to take orders or to answer queries, which reminds me of the exact stance depicted in the sketch, slightly uninterested, bored with routine, but still standing upright in their suited coat, albeit with their stomach sticking out. While the Bombay Gymkhana steward sketch is done on the recto (front side), there is a sketch called ‘Marion Taylor’ of a lady done in the verso (reverse side), which is done in pen. The ‘preparatory’ aspect gives the work its unique character and charm.”
Club celebrated its Founder’s Day last Thursday. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
The preparatory part of the sketch, presumably done in situ (as was the convention), is on the reverse side, along with the Marion Taylor pen sketch. The artwork seen here, polished/redone later, is the final sketch. “The verso of this pencil sketch consists of an elaborate pen and ink sketch of a lady donning High Victorian fashion; simply captioned ‘Marion Taylor’, the dressing style offers us a clue of the era the work was made in (late 1800s or a little after, as the post-Victorian era hangover continues). And considering that the mediums too are different (one pen, the other pencil), this page, part of a sketchbook, would’ve been used at different times, perhaps even at different places, by an amateur artist sketching as they travelled. The indication this was an artist is in the fact that the artist bothered to complete the preliminary sketch and was not simply doodling,” Kapadia said. The work was preserved using archival/acid-free plastic sleeves and a desiccant to keep away moisture.
The history
The Bombay Gymkhana Club’s initial membership was restricted to British gentlemen. The club’s unique Swiss Chalet-style building designed by John Adams was completed in 1876. The building is a heritage structure, recognised and protected by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. The Bombay Gymkhana hosted the first-ever Test match between India and England in 1933.
The Club has been celebrating its 150th anniversary with a slew of events commemorating the special year. Recently, the club marked the 150th Founders’ Day, which falls on June 19. The day began with a performance by the Indian Naval Band, who set the tone by playing the national anthem, followed by a short ceremonial parade from the main reception to the Waudby Gate, culminating near the gymnasium. There was also the traditional ringing of the Bombay Light Horse Bell, symbolising the enduring legacy of the club.
For enquiries about the sketch, email: mrinal.kapadia@gmail.com
