Priceless paintings decay in Pune varsity

Artefacts lie amidst  dust and rubble of  renovation work

PUNE: Several original paintings, mounted on panels in the University of Pune’s (UoP) Shivaji Hall, have been badly damaged due to the renovation work.

The paintings, including those of two governors, a king, a queen and a lord from the Raj days, were evaluated as “priceless” by London-based auction house Christie’s.

Five life-sized and four smaller paintings and a large number of art and artefacts are lying neglected at the UoP’s main building, which has been under renovation for four-and-a-half years.

The UoP is a Grade-A heritage structure, which served as the summer residence of the governor of Bombay in colonial India.

 Senior artist Sudhakar Chavan said that the neglect showed the university’s complete lack of interest in works of art. One of the large paintings had fallen off after seeping water damaged it completely, he said.

Two Italian marble statues of David and Venus gifted by the ruler of Bhor to the then governor of Bombay Sir James Rivet Carnac  were installed outside the main building without any shelter.  “These are priceless antiques and cannot be replicated,” said Chavan.

Noted conservation architect Kiran Kalamdani, who is with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach), corroborated this while speaking to DNA.
According to him, Intach (Pune) chairperson Arti Kirloskar had approached Christie’s to evaluate the paintings, a large carpet, and other artefacts. Their response was that they were ‘priceless’, said Kalamdani.

“Christie’s got back saying that the paintings are a national treasure and cannot be taken out for evaluation,” he said.

Intach was initially entrusted with the restoration work, but the contract was terminated last year. Kalamdani said Rs1.25 crore had already been spent on the labour  for the restoration of the main building. “The university terminated our contract without paying our fee of around Rs17 lakh,” he said.

The restoration is now with the state government and is at a standstill. City-based conservationist Giri Kumar also described the art works as “truly priceless”.
According to Kumar, his joint proposal with Intach to the UoP for conservation of the building got no response. He is now drawing up another proposal for the artefacts.

“An old carpet—40 feet by 20 feet—a few chandeliers, and two nine-foot Belgian glass mirrors, which once decorated the monsoon palace of the governor of Bombay Province, Sir James Rivett Carnac, from 1831-1841 have been packed away,” said Kumar.

 Executive engineer Rajendra Vishnu Patil, who recently joined the UoP, told DNA that the state-appointed heritage committee approved the restoration on Wednesday. “Work will begin on July 8 with a formal ceremony,” he said.

Eminent heritage conservationist MS Mate said that the main building also houses numerous decorative busts which are equally important.

“The portraits are part of the heritage structure. The conservation work is with the state government. One does not know what will happen to these important pieces of art and artefacts,” he said.

Vice-chancellor Narendra Jadhav has announced he would sit in the main building by January 2009, but an official from the UoP’s estate management said it was “impossible” to complete the work in five months.