Rifleman-Burma Rifles in Civilian Dress, W. Luker Junior, Watercolour on paper, 28x43 cms.

William Luker was an acclaimed portrait painter as well as an illustrator. He was also interested in the genre of landscape paintings. He was the son of a well known artist William Luker Senior. He exhibited widely from 1885-1939 at the Royal Academy and Royal Society of British Artists.
Standing in profi le, this rifl eman from “Burma Rifl es” reveals Luker’s artistic genius. The rifl eman with ethnic Burmese features is clad in a red lower garment and printed upper garment. A swirling scarf is worn around his neck, the ends of which are tied with a green badge.
A jacket in military green is worn atop his shirt, underlining his professional status. A fl at belt in brown envelops his waist atop the lower red garment. The lower garment is tied in a knotted form towards the left side. The heart shaped face with small eyes inset under thick upper lid, a slender nose, emphatic chin and full lips in a slight smiling fashion shows his facial features. The right hand relaxes on his waist while left hand holds a large pocket of his jacket, with eyes waning away from the spectator. Attention to his facial contours is drawn through a sash in fl oral pattern, tied around his head. Slight shading in green underneath his slippers joins the form and below it can be seen, the signature of W. Luker Jnr in calligraphic style which adds to the artistic appeal of the painting.

Portfolio Name: Company Paintings in Rashtrapati Bhawan
Source: Lalit Kala Akademi