A new exhibition titled “A Treasury of Life: Indian Company Paintings, c. 1790 to 1835” is captivating art enthusiasts in Delhi with its rare and vivid depictions of colonial India. Organized by DAG (Delhi Art Gallery), the exhibition brings together over 200 historically significant works that were originally commissioned by officers of the East India Company. These paintings offer an extraordinary glimpse into 18th and early 19th century India, capturing its people, customs, natural world, and architecture through the eyes of Indian artists employed by British patrons.

Created by painters formerly associated with Mughal courts, these artworks blend Indian techniques with European aesthetic demands. They are often referred to as "Company paintings"—a term used for pieces produced by Indian artists under British patronage. These works served both documentary and decorative purposes, helping British officials better understand and showcase the foreign land they had come to govern.

The exhibition is divided into three broad themes: natural history, architecture, and manners and customs. Highlights include Sewak Ram’s detailed watercolor of a Muharram procession in Patna from 1820, and Sita Ram’s ethereal rendering of the dargah of Sheikh Salim Chishti in Fatehpur Sikri, created between 1815 and 1825.

Once overlooked by mainstream art history, Company paintings are now gaining recognition for their artistic excellence and their nuanced portrayal of India's cultural complexity during colonial times. The show not only celebrates the technical mastery of Indian artists but also encourages a re-evaluation of how colonial art has been traditionally perceived.

By foregrounding these long-neglected visual records, A Treasury of Life reveals the deep and layered cultural exchanges between Indian artists and their colonial patrons—offering viewers a richer, more inclusive understanding of history.