Mumbai Art Street: 110-year-old statue of M G Ranade and rise of Swadeshi movement in memorial sculptural art

The statue, created by sculptor Ganpatrao K Mhatre, as per experts, is regarded as the first statue of an Indian social reformer or politician in India made by the first academic sculptor from Western India in the pre-independence period and the beginning of a rise of Swadeshi art movement in Indian memorial art.

Ranade, whose 181st birth anniversary was celebrated last month, was popularly known as Justice Ranade and was also a member of the Bombay Legislative Council.

As per communications accessed by art historian and author Sandeep Dahisarkar through the National Archives, the full-size statue was commissioned to Mhatre after Sister Nivedita, the social reformer and disciple of Swami Vivekananda, had written a letter with strong recommendation for Mhatre’s name to Ranade’s disciple and Indian national movement leader Gopal Krishna Gokhale, who advocated for his mentor’s memorial.

“Like Rabindranath Tagore, Sister Nivedita also admired Mhatre’s work and she was a mentor of Bengal school of artists such as Nandalal Bose and Asit Halder. She met the young sculptor Mhatre (born in 1879) for the first time on his visit to Calcutta for a professional work and later came to know more about Mhatre’s works and appreciated them and called Mhatre’s genius as a great national asset,” says Dahisarkar.

While the statue has stood still for over a millennium since 1913, the BMC in 2021, had to restore its parts. (Express Photo by Ganesh Shirsekar)

Nivedita, while forwarding Mhatre’s letter to Gokhale on April 16, 1905, had added, “I believe that this artist has acquired as great a freedom and mastery in the use of material as any European artist whom you are likely to secure and that added to this he has a strong creative genius, such as few in Europe possess. It is difficult for a country in the present condition of India to believe that her own workers can do better than those of other Countries. Had the same temper prevailed in Italy at a certain period, there would have been no Michael Angelo.”

While the statue has stood still for over a century since 1913, which was installed 12 years after Ranade’s death, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in 2021 had to restore the part which was damaged by high-speed winds in the aftermath of Cyclone Tauktae.

As per civic officials, the heritage conservation cell of the BMC, in February, 2022 has roped in Savani Heritage Conservation Pvt Ltd as an agency for three years for regular maintenance of four marble and eleven bronze statues, including Ranade’s statue in the Fort area.

The seven-feet-tall Carrera marble statue placed on a six feet pedestal was a reproduction of an only photograph available of Justice Ranade who had strong dislike for the camera, says Dahisarkar.

“Despite this, the artist took up the challenge and reproduced an exact likeness, even the defect in the right eye is clearly represented. Standing in a characteristic attitude, Ranade is wearing the judicial robes, a Puneri Pagadi on the head and holds a legal scroll in his right hand. The robes falling down on the cushion at the back was added by the artist as a support. Those who knew Ranade personally declared that the likeness was extraordinarily good. An Indian social reformer immortalised in stone stood next to statues of Lord Reay and Sir Richard Temple, the then Governors of Bombay Presidency.,” Dahisarkar adds.

Mhatre had his art studio and foundry earlier in south Mumbai’s Girgaum Chowpatty and later, in suburban Vile Parle, says Dahisarkar, whose book ‘Parle: Dnyat-Adnyat (Known- unknown)’ finds mention about Nivedita’s letter and Mhatre’s works.

Dahisarkar adds, “Mhatre, who inspired generations of sculptors, created at least 260 busts, 62 full-sized statues and seven equestrian statues and such works included statues and busts of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, G K Gokhale, King George-V and Pherozshah Mehta among others. Mhatre, along with other sculptors of the Bombay School of Art, whose works can be found all over India, have created a strong tradition and the same needs to be celebrated.”