António Xavier Trindade, the Indian painter from Portuguese Goa, depicts in "Forsaken" a westernized 20th century interpretation of the rejected lover with roots in the Subcontinent and Persian literary traditions. The inspiration for this work seems to come from Nayika, a character popularized by the 16th and 17th century Hindu poets representing a category of women in love, which was readily appropriated by Rajput painters. In the past, this painting was often referred to as "Betrayed" in the Trindade household, due to the sense of melancholy and rejection created around its main character. In the painting, a woman wears a beautiful blue sari with thin gold border, a color sometimes associated with disappointment. The sari is worn with a contrasting light blue choli (blouse), with big dots and deep neckline. Her long black locks are tied in a loose bun. On her left hand, one can see a design which appears to be a mehndi (temporary body art). She is shown wearing traditional gold bangles on her wrist, double chains around her neck and drop earrings with a stone which could be diamonds. She is lying on the floor by the side of a bed covered with rich gold-colored quilt. In the background there is a lamp with fading flame that symbolizes the long wait for her lover. The lamp is also a metaphor for her burning heart while her long dark tresses represent the long black night of separation. The emotional impact and cultural relevance of Trindade’s pining lover attract as much attention today as they did in the 1920s. Trindade is regarded as one of Bombay's leading realist painters. While many of his paintings were portraits of famous Indian personalities, he also did paintings of family and friends. Not completely divorced from the exotic and romantic style of his predecessors and contemporaries, Trindade also painted themes of pining beloveds (as we see in "Forsaken") and village themes with particular interest of the "belle at the well."

Forsaken by António Xavier Trindade (Portuguese) - Oil on canvas / c. 1932 - Fundação Oriente (Panaji, India) #womeninart #art #artwork #oilpainting #Trindade ##FundaçãoOriente #womensart #AntonioXavierTrindade #rejection #EmotionalArt #fineart #melancholy #IndianArt #PortugueseArtist #Nayika