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Le
Colonial
Fort Cochin, Kerala
16th Century
Have a true
Neemrana 'non-hotel' Hotel experience.
History House in Fort Cochin is probably
Asia’s oldest colonial house dating back to 1506.
Just adjacent to St. Francis Church, it is reputed to have have been
home to Vasco da Gama and the Saint.
After 150 years as the Portuguese Governor’s home, it then housed the
Dutch Governor Ian vas Spall until it was sold to the British in 1795.
They passed it on to J. Thomas, the legendary traders of tea.
The 500 years of history contained within its walls have now been
restored and embellished with modern comfort.
The enormous rain trees that line the streets of Fort Cochin have seen
over 80 monsoons.
The colonial bungalows here have stood mute witnesses to history for the
past 500 since the Portuguese arrived. Standing elegantly adjacent to
St. Francis church where Vasco Da Gama was buried, the Church bungalow
was built in 1506. Home to successive colonizers, the Portuguese, Dutch
and then British, its most distinguished occupant was the last Dutch
governor, Jan Van Spall.
Now its occupants are treated to a fabulous collection of art and artefacts
belonging to the French businessman John Persenda, that adorn the walls,
shelves and the refurbished settings. From a Cartier Bresson print to
etchings, oils, engravings, objects of art and sketches of the colonial
times, the theme at Le Colonial reveals the past. So alive come the
times of battles fought, of sieges, of surrender, victory and defeat. If
you wish for a holiday with art history, it’s right here.
The over 200 works, chosen, bought and collected from Western auction
houses and from art dealers in New Delhi, Cape Town and Paris, give this
seven suite hotel a complete “non-hotel” experience. So romantic is
the theme, the collection and the style, so in keeping with the
character of the place that as you sit on a wicker chair and sip tea in
the verandah, history sits along with you. The present halts and the
past unfolds.
The rare Daniells catch the spirit of the times just as the military
prints once again raise the heat and dust of bloody battles. Yes, the
brandishing of swords, the neighing of the horses as they rise on their
hind legs, the proud death of Tipu Sultan, the formal signing of a
treaty are all there as fabulous prints.
The seven suites are named to the theme. The Viceroy suite has sketches
depicting the attire of the 1930 Royals, while the flora and fauna of
the times, etched by “historical painters” to the “royal highness
the Duke and Duchess of York” adorn the ADC room.
The Vasco Da Gama suite has a bright, ruddy portrait print of the
historic trader and a fantastic sketch of him done by Anjolie Ela Menon
(1978). The contrast is superb. A moving engraving, a print from the
“Plate representing the Departure of the sons of Tippoo from the
zenana, by F. Bartelozzi, engraver to His majesty’s sculptor” is the
arresting frame in the Tipu Sultan suite.
Another historic moment, Hyder Ali receiving Admiral De Suffren,
completes the theme of this room. A touch of France is given to the Mahe
de la Boudonnais room with 18th century French prints which have been
with the Persenda family for four generations.
(Mr. Persenda’s grandfather was in the artillery in Mesopotamia in
1914.)
A portrait of a young Lord Clive dons the anteroom along with a small
oil of the young Queen Victoria, four large prints of the surrender of
Tipu Sultan’s sons and related works.
Portrait prints of Dutch commanders in the Malabar, of the VOC (Vereenigde
Oostindische Campagnie: The United Dutch East India Company), all 20 of
them, line up the wooden stairway, resplendent in the attire of the
times.
The staircase foyer is lit up with three exquisite oils: of Queen
Victoria, an Indian maharaja beautifully placed on an easel, and a huge
work of a warrior holding a horse in front of a fort. Corridors,
passages, verandahs and even the rest rooms have paintings of the Raj.
Topies, helmets, caps worn by soldiers and a sailor cap with HMS Ganges
are also on display and gold bound books on the history of the Dutch in
Malabar are there for your reading pleasure. One can see how collating
this rare and rich collection has been a labour of love for Mr. Persenda
as he narrates an interesting incident about how that sale act of the
property, 1795, between the Dutch (Jan Van Spall) and the British (Major
Petrie) got misplaced at the framer’s but was finally found!
Interesting artefacts like a small statue of an African with his cross
and helmet, from the kingdom of Benin, alerts you to the fact that the
Portuguese had come to India from Africa. Such historical cues fill the
timeless puzzle of the past, the pictures narrate the story in detail
and the expressions of the people in the pictures, in a strange sort of
way, have something to do with our present.
To see is to believe but history
sadly does not give us that visual experience. Monuments do,
architecture does, and sculpture too but only partially. It's art,
besides cinema, that comes closest to recreating the past in entirety.
Pictorial interpolations do add or subtract from the truth but art
catches the time, the flavour and the quintessence.
Capturing colonial India, the fascinating 17th and 18th centuries, are
the 200-odd paintings, etchings, and sketches at Le Colonial, the museum
hotel, in Fort Kochi, which is set to open by mid-April.
This collection of French businessman and owner of the hotel, John
Persenda, is to adorn the walls of this luxury hotel, which was home to
the last Dutch governor-general, Jan Van Spall. With such rare art
history on its walls the Le Colonial will be next only to The Imperial
in Delhi, done on similar lines.
Along with the art on the wall, will be the famous photograph by Henri
Cartier Bresson, that of the Mountbattens and Nehru caught off guard.
Mr. Persenda will bring that photo along with him when he comes for the
opening. He says about the rare photo: "You know, Gandhi was the
fourth person at the scene but when Bresson caught the look between
Nehru and Edwina, he focused just on them. Gandhi went out of the
frame."
Said an excited Mr. Persenda as he spoke about putting together the
collection, "When I bought this place four years ago I decided to
do something to go with the tone of the building. Being a Frenchman I
have great attraction for Tipu Sultan, as he was an ally of France. So I
have a lot of art related to him. I have given a theme to each room,
recreating colonial history."
And so the former Church bungalow, built in 1506, has its eight suites,
foyer, lobby, staircase, corridors, verandahs, dining hall, passages and
even the bathroom walls dressed with rare imperial art.
Loosely termed as Company Art, the works are related to the East India
Company and India during those times. So from shikar, to the koi-hai
bungalow style, from garden parties to at-homes, from the Sepoy Mutiny
to Afghan war, from hunting on elephant back, to prince and princesses
in bejewelled regalia, the art will transport you back in time.
"For the last four years I have been collecting the works from
Christie's in London, Drouot in Paris, art dealers in Delhi, Mumbai and
Cape Town. All the etchings are originals. "
Each work in this rare ensemble is one that will have you reflect. From
the four oils of young Robert Clive, of Queen Victoria, of an 18th
century gentleman, to that of two ladies in conversation which is a 17th
century Dutch work, the task of positioning the works is underway. Mr.
Persenda, fastidious and discerning, said he was very particular about
which art should be put in which room. "It has to go with the
character of the room, the period furniture and the style." Hence,
the Viceroy Suite and the adjacent ADC room are to have 1930 etchings,
an Indian maharaja in a dinner jacket and the baths have to contend with
posters of travel to India by boat and air in the thirties.
Common areas like the stairway, corridors, dining hall have rare
photographs and some famous military prints like `The Relief of Lucknow
and triumphant meeting of Havelock, Outram and Sir Colin Campbell',
bought at Christie's. Colonel Mordaunt's `Cock match' on the winding
wooden staircase is another interesting period work. The hunting scenes,
original etchings of the Afghan War, two works on the surrender of Tipu
Sultan's children are some of the other wonderful pieces.
A series of our colonel, our colonel's wife, our ball, our wedding, our
joint magistrate, our doctor, our pig sticking gives a graphic
description of the times.
Collecting this fabulous ensemble has been a labour of love for Mr.
Persenda. "What is amazing is that it is cheaper to buy Indian
antiques in London and Paris. There is 30 per cent import duty on
bringing them back to India. Besides colonial art I have also bought
books on the life of the Dutch in India. The staircase will have all the
portraits of the 20 Dutch governors. Three colonial helmets, a beautiful
Portuguese statue of young Christ bought at Jew Street, painting of the
Delft Church in Holland and etching of the VOC of Cape Town are some of
the other artefacts besides the art."
Recalled the collector, "When I was queried at Christie's about
where these works were going and I told them Kochi, everybody felt that
they had found their rightful place."
