Watercolour on paper
9.5 X 15.0 in. (24.1 X 38.1 cms)
Signed in English (Lower Centre)
Code : MULLERAH16
Archibald Herman Muller
Born in Cochin, Kerala in 1878, Archibald Herman Muller studied at Government College of Arts and Crafts, Madras. Muller came to Bombay in 1910 to further nurture his artistic practice, and Bombay proved lucky for him. Muller occupied a special position in the Indian art scene of the early 20th century. Muller became critically acclaimed and won awards for his paintings on Hindu mythological themes in an academic style popularised by Ravi Varma. He was also known for watercolour on everyday life in which he depicted proletarian figures, especially women. But while his fisherwomen and farm labourers appear in Indian costume and are rendered realistically in a local ethos, they are often presented in the classic poses of Greco-Roman statuary.
In 1911, Muller won the most coveted Gold Medal of the Bombay Art Society for his painting `Princess Giving Gift to a Brahmin Boy`, inspired by Ravi Varma’s painting on the similar theme. In 1912, he received Governor’s Prize.
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