May 2 marks the 90th birth anniversary of legendary Goan illustrator Mario Miranda. Gerard da Cunha, his longtime friend and curator of Mario Gallery, in Bardez, Goa, will mark the occasion with the release of The Life of Mario -1949. The book is the latest in a series, which include ‘1950’ and ‘1951’.
Mario Miranda at 22. (Photo: The Life of Mario — 1949)
“Mario Miranda had just finished his studies at St Xavier’s College, in Mumbai, and had started getting small commissions. He often travelled to Daman, and to his village Loutolim, in Goa, where he spent time sketching. The sketches in ‘1949’ are mostly from that period,” says da Cunha, who has worked with the illustrator on other books, including ‘Mario de Miranda’, in 2008. The Diaries showcase “the young Mario — the humanitarian, artist and cartoonist taking wing”.
(Photo: The Life of Mario — 1949)
Mario rarely showed his diaries to anyone, says da Cunha. “He hid them. The Diaries were very personal. He always felt it would embarrass friends and relatives.”
Mario was not a big eater or drinker, but he used to spend time in taverns and eateries so he could observe people. “He was fond of good food, and red wine, but he had everything in moderation. He observed people everywhere — the post office, the bus stop, weddings, eateries — he was a master at documenting social life,” says da Cunha. “I remember him telling me about this old Goan restaurant run by a man who had come back from Angola. It served dishes influenced by the Portuguese. Of course, it is no longer there now.”
(Photo: The Life of Mario — 1949)
The sketches accompanying this piece are of taverns, the original and iconic Hotel Ritz, of a picnic, and, among others, Chicken and Mutton Xacuti, which Mario seems to have been fond of.
“If you look at the Diaries as a whole, you’d realise that in the later half of ‘1949’, Mario displays an originality that would one day catapult him to greater things. The Diaries played an important part in the honing of his skills.”
The Mario Gallery, in Goa, is organising a number of events to celebrate Mario Miranda’s 90th birth anniversary. Apart from the release of the book, there will also be a free concert featuring Mario’s favourite musician and an exhibition selling Mario’s Original art. Email archauto@gmail.com for more details.
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