In this beautifully detailed chromolithograph, M.V. Dhurandhar, a pioneer of early Indian academic art, presents a gentle yet powerful social commentary on the changing role of women in colonial India. Titled “The Educated Sister”, the image portrays a young woman reading aloud from a letter, surrounded by her sisters engaged in traditional domestic work — grinding grain, rolling papads, and weaving garlands.
The contrast is deliberate yet harmonious. Dhurandhar doesn’t show conflict but coexistence — a family where education begins to weave into the daily rhythm of home life. The window in the background opens to a world of colonial architecture, symbolizing modernity and Western influence entering the Indian household through education.
This postcard was part of a broader reformist visual movement encouraging female literacy, empowerment, and social progress — a cause supported by artists and thinkers of the time. As a collectible print, it would have been displayed with pride in middle-class homes, echoing the aspirations of a newly awakening nation.
