Public Spaces in Lucknow -the influence of power (page 1)

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Nineteenth century Lucknow has been well captured in both photographs and paintings of not only its eclectic architecture and pastoral scenes of the Gomti riverfront but also in the portraits of the Nawabs and the Europeans who befriended them. However, missing are visual representations of the women of the ruling family. The question, "Where are the Women in Islamic art?", prompts me to look for them not only in period portraiture, but also in how women significant in Lucknow's history are remembered a century-and-half later in public memorials. Although the public spaces of Lucknow are commemorative in their profuse use of statuary and memorial plaques, there is none of the Nawabi period.

In Hussainabad Art Gallery hang the portraits of all the Nawabs and the state museum has a small Wing dedicated to Nawabi art." When I visited the Residency Memorial in 2005, it had been refurbished to commemorate 150 years of the Indian Mutiny popularly known as the "Uprising" or the 'First War of Independence". In the collection of male figures, the recently painted portrait of Begum Hazrat Mahal stood out. Reputed to be only portrait of her in existence, it occupied a pride of place on the wall. Why are there not more portraits of her? Why is it that even in the city's central park named after her, she is not to be seen? If mimetic representation of women is prohibited in Islam, how do we reconcile this absence with the profuse iconographic imagery prevalent in the larger Indian visual culture? But first, we need to ask why it is so important that Hazrat Mahal be memorialised in this fashion in Lucknow's public landscape?

(Continues...)

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