Photography revolutionized
portraiture, greatly expanding the number of people who could share their
likeness with others and with posterity. Conventions of studio portraiture from

Western Europe—the
sitter’s direct gaze, use of props and furniture, and extravagantly painted

backgrounds—made their way
across India, where they were reinterpreted by local photographers, including Jambhekar’s
Studio in the port city of Surat.