Esther Reclining

Trindade’s daughter Esther’s portrait is a provocative combination of sensuality and innocence. Surrounded by a romantic setting reminiscent of Victorian portraits, it exquisitely depicts the alluring grace and facial features of a 15-year-old. Her full lips and large almond shaped eyes are classically beautiful. Reflecting light from the window, her skin looks soft and smooth while her uncovered legs are evocative. A subtle eroticism pervades in the painting induced by the dramatic light contrasts, the use of a rich colours and textures in a clear agreement with the reclining nude canons in Western Art.
For the conservative society of the time, Esther’s short blunt-cut hairstyle could be seen as radical. Such a bob, almost masculine in style, was fashionable in Europe and America in the early 20th century, but long, black hair was the measure of beauty in India. The ambiguous and contradictory elements in this portrait are intriguing and reflect the open-minded attitude with which the artist and his family lived.
References: Shihandi, Marcella, et al, António Xavier Trindade: An Indian Painter from Portuguese Goa (exhibition catalogue), Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia, 1996; Tavares, Cristina Azevedo et al, António Xavier Trindade: Um Pintor de Goa (exhibition catalogue), Lisbon, Fundação Oriente, 2005; Gracias, Fátima, Faces of Colonial India: The Work of Goan Artist António Xavier Trindade (1870-1935), Panjim, Goa, Fundação Oriente, 2014.