How did Indian artists depict the birth of Christ?

The birth of Jesus Christ – a poignant biblical event – has been the subject of many paintings by Western artists, who often applied the ideas of beauty and creativity prevalent there while depicting the event on canvas.

These works are among the most widely available representations of Christian art, shaping how the world views this biblical event and stripping those outside the West of its influence.

But over the centuries, artists in India have sought to express their vision of this event by depicting the birth of Jesus and other Christian themes in their own style.

Some have done so consciously, others unconsciously, but the end result is a body of work that breathes new life and meaning into the event of Christ's birth, and into Christianity itself.

Below are some paintings from Indian art history that showcase the birth of Jesus from a unique local perspective.

The Mughal Emperor Muhammad Jalaluddin Akbar is credited with introducing northern India to Christianity by inviting Jesuit missionaries to visit his court.

Missionaries brought with them European scriptures and works of art on Christian themes which influenced court painters. Akbar and his successors also commissioned many murals with Christian themes and some court painters began to infuse these paintings with elements of Islamic art.

Neha Virmani, a historian of South Asia, talks about a painting by Mughal court artists that shows Emperor Jahangir in a nativity scene, which traditionally depicts Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus.

“Mughal rulers saw themselves as 'just' rulers capable of maintaining harmony and balance in their kingdoms; they were 'universal rulers'. Allowing different religions to coexist was integral to the way they viewed themselves and wanted to be remembered,” says Ms Virmani.

The 18th-century painting below features stylistic elements typical of Mughal art, including highly stylized forms, vibrant colours, naturalism and ornamentation.

Born in 1887 in what is now West Bengal, India, Jamini Roy is known for creating a unique visual language by combining elements of Bengali folk art with Kalighat paintings – a distinctive art form that originated near a famous temple in Kolkata. .

Ashish Anand, CEO and managing director of art firm DAG, says art critic W.G. Archer once remarked that Christ is represented by Gamini Roy's Santhal (Santhal is an Indian tribal group) character.

He says: “The simplicity of Christ's life and sacrifice impressed Roy, making his paintings on Christian themes no less important than those on Hindu mythology, all presented in the popular style of modernism that he made distinctively his own.”

Born in 1902 in the western state of Goa, Angelo De Fonseca is credited with creating unique Christian iconography that combines Eastern and Western influences with his own Goan sensibilities.

In his paintings, Mary is not depicted as a beautiful maiden in a blue dress, but looks very much like a brown-skinned Indian woman, dressed in a sari and wearing a mangalsutra (a piece of traditional Indian jewelry worn by married Hindu women). ).

Biblical scenes unfold in local settings and feature motifs and elements that speak to an Indian audience.

Through his art, he tried to confront the narrative of the West as the cradle of beauty and artistic creativity.

“Fonseca wanted to place Christianity—which was largely seen as a Western religious tradition—within the Indian subcontinent. It is from this concern that his watercolors draw Christianity anew,” said Reynald D'Souza, director of the Xavier Center for Historical Research. Goa told the BBC.