In 1954 Thomas Gayer-Anderson gifted over two hundred items from the collection of Indian miniatures he had formed with his brother Robert, to the Commonwealth of Australia. Two years earlier he had presented part of the collection to the Victoria and Albert Museum. The brothers had both served at Gallipoli and befriended Australian soldiers and the gift to Australia was intended as a tribute to these men. Thomas wrote
‘It is a source of the liveliest satisfaction to me to know that the pictures and objects in this Gayer-Anderson Gift, each one of which has been acquired, tended and loved by myself and my twin Brother, are now going to a new home where they will be permanently cared for, studied and admired in a land for whose People we have always had so sincere an admiration and affection.’
Their joint interest in Indian paintings and drawings began in 1926 when Robert gave Thomas six Indian paintings he had purchased in Cairo. Both brothers then added to the collection with purchases in India, Cairo and the UK.
The collection includes numerous brush, pen and ink drawings including women playing traditional games and carrying pets, performing acrobats and hunting scenes featuring elephants and horses. A mounted Shah Jehan is shown attacked by a Tiger. Mounted warriors and scenes of battle also feature. Some of the drawings may be studies for paintings in full colour. There are also scenes from the Mughal courts with ‘A Mughal Noble issuing orders’ and portraits of princes and nobles. The collection also includes paintings from China, Tibet and Turkey.
The brothers kept detailed records of where they acquired each item in the collection, and this was passed to the National Gallery of Australia with the gift to establish provenance. In 1999 the Collection featured in a travelling exhibition ‘A Stream of Stories, Indian Miniatures from the National Gallery of Australia.
The wonderful website of the National Gallery of Australia is the source of much of the information in this article. Here’s some of their collection.