The Director,
National Gallery of Modern Art,
Ministry of Culture, Government of India
Jaipur House, Sher Shah Road
New Delhi 110003
Telephone Number : 011-23386111
From the end 1920s, Jamini Roy rejected the European oil medium and began to use the traditional pigments from vegetable and mineral sources. The imagery was often drawn from village life. Jamini Roy invested in the portrayal of peasants, artisans, followers of religious cults, village women and adivasis with immense dignity. He represented in his paintings what they held sacred with references from folk tales and narratives that permeated the rural consciousness. In this particular painting, one of his most iconic, the three women depicted as they worship, have been painted with thick, black contour lines with the application of the blue colour of the drape done flatly.
Christ with Cross Jamini Roy (1887-1972) | Acc. No. 65
The series of images depicting the life of Jesus Christ is perhaps one of the boldest experiments in figuration and narrativisation by Jamini Roy. The language of the Christ paintings is remarkable for their grave, contemplative faces in somewhat hieratic poses with iconicity. In this particular painting the artist has depicted the figure of Christ in a frontal stance with thick black lines along the contours, as he carries the cross over his shoulder. Unlike the other depictions of Christ bearing the cross with hardship, this image has a tranquil, sacred mood. Jamini Roy narrated episodes from Christian mythology in a way that could communicate itself easily to the ordinary Bengali villager.
Krishna and Balarama Jamini Roy (1887-1972) | Acc. No. 66
Jamini Roy adopted the tribhanga or bent axis for the Krishna figures from traditional iconography. But even so, he infuses these paintings with intense lyricism. In this particular painting the artist portrays an evocative image of a rural community with the blue lord Krishna and his brother Balaram in symmetric poses. The richly saturated palette and application of flat tones demolish the boundaries of naturalism. With stylised and suggestive tree forms, Jamini Roy creates an idyllic pastoral scene, a rural utopia of his imagination. In keeping with the theme, the imagery is invested with a playful iconicity.
Probably, it was 1919 or 1920 that Jamini Roy moved away gradually from European naturalism in search of his own idiom. The first suite of paintings that emerged from these early experiments focused primarily on Santal women. In these paintings, he started by discarding the nonessential elements in the landscape keeping only a branch here or a bit of water there. The colour palette was confined to a limited range and was applied as a flat tone. The Mother and Child image is one of the favourite themes of Roy and here he evokes the mother's protective tenderness towards her young son with great sensitivity. The clear-cut angular lines with which the figure is rendered indicates the increased stylisation that Roy was to adopt in the coming years. This painting won the top prize in the 1935 All Indian Academy of Fine Arts exhibition.
Bengali Woman Jamini Roy (1887-1972) | Acc. No. 75
From the end 1920s, Jamini Roy rejected the European oil medium and began to use the traditional pigments from vegetable and mineral sources. The imagery was often drawn from village life. Jamini Roy invested in the portrayal of peasants, artisans, followers of religious cults, village women and adivasis with immense dignity. He represented in his paintings what they held sacred with references from folk tales and narratives that permeated the rural consciousness. In this particular painting titled 'Bengali Woman' done against a bright yellow background the figure has a slight hint of volume in her figuration. The artist has also adhered to the notions of ideal feminine beauty in the depiction of the doe eyes of the figures.
This painting is an evocative image of a rural community. Jamini Roy has beautifully represented in many of his paintings the sect of the Vaishnavas, the followers of Krishna as either making offerings to the lord or on the way to a temple in a procession or going around villages singing kirtans (devotional songs) on the life of Krishna, and seeking alms. It is interesting to see how Roy broke down the figure to the essential form that goes into its making and then synthesised it to suggest a structure. Jamini Roy drew imagery that was authentic using simplification of form inspired by the folk arts of the region that had evolved over the centuries. In this painting the artist has adopted the tribhanga or the bent axis from the traditional iconography in the representation of the figure of Gopini or herd woman or milkmaid. The artist has adhered to the notions of ideal feminine beauty with the depiction of the doe eyes, demure stances and the voluptuous figure of the Gopini with a heightened pliancy in her figuration. There is a strong element of fantasy in the richly saturated palette that Roy has used particularly for the Krishna-Leela series of works. The artist conveys a sense of an idyll where faith, religion and spirituality create an organic wholeness in life.
Offering to Krishna Jamini Roy (1887-1972) | Acc. No. 78
This painting is an evocative image of a rural community. Jamini Roy has beautifully represented in many of his paintings the sect of the Vaishnavas, the followers of Krishna as either making offerings to the lord or on the way to a temple in a procession or going around villages singing kirtans (devotional songs) on the life of Krishna, and seeking alms. It is interesting to see how Roy broke down the figure to the essential form that goes into its making and then synthesised it to suggest a structure. Jamini Roy drew imagery that was authentic using simplification of form inspired by the folk arts of the region that had evolved over the centuries. In this painting the artist has adopted the tribhanga or the bent axis from the traditional iconography in the representation of the figures of Gopini or herd women or milkmaids. The demure posture and the offerings in pots in their hands is suggestive of the reverential demeanour of the figures. The artist has also adhered to the notions of ideal feminine beauty with the depiction of the doe eyes and the voluptuous figures of the Gopinis. There is a strong element of fantasy in the richly saturated palette that Roy has used particularly for the Krishna-Leela series of works. The artist conveys a sense of an idyll where faith, religion and spirituality create an organic wholeness in life.
There are touches of irony, playfulness and whimsy in the paintings of birds and beasts that Jamini Roy did even as he stylised them in pure forms. The playful sense of intimacy always comes as a pleasing surprise. This painting titled 'Black Horse' is one of the best paintings in the collection of the museum. The strong element of fantasy is enhanced by the use of rich Indian red in the background even as the artist has drawn the stylised horse using minimalist form.
Jamini Roy's mastery over the techniques of the great European painters led him to paint local landscapes and life of local peasants using tempera and wash techniques. Interestingly, he continued to show these European style landscapes and animals drawing along with his newly-evolved folk style. In this particular painting, he has depicted a Santhal woman looking for her shadow in the water, rendered with the shades of oil colours in tonal variation delineating the forms and suggesting the demeanour of the subject.
Perhaps one of the most iconic paintings of Roy, 'Cat and Lobster' depicts a cat with a lobster in its mouth ready to be devoured, with its tail ending in a colourful trefoil. There is a strong element of fantasy in the richly saturated palette that Roy creates from a limited range of vegetable, mineral and earth colours. The bright colours and flat forms demolish the boundaries of naturalism and lend a playful mood to the depiction.
Bride Amrita Sher-Gil (1913-1941) | Acc. No. 114
The Last Unfinished Painting Amrita Sher-Gil (1913-1941) | Acc. No. 115
The Swing Amrita Sher-Gil (1913-1941) | Acc. No. 117
The series of images depicting the life of Jesus Christ is perhaps one of the boldest experiments in figuration and narrativisation by Jamini Roy. The language of the Christ paintings is remarkable as Roy invests the grave, contemplative faces in their somewhat hieratic poses with iconicity. In this particular painting, the artist has depicted the crucifixion of Christ with a bright colour palette that offsets the solemn theme of the painting. Roy infuses the imagery with a strong sense of geometricity, that reduces forms to their bare essentials in the composition. There is also the suggestion of a sacred presence in the mass of worshipping figures in the background.
Temple Door Gaganendranath Tagore (1867-1938) | Acc. No. 969
Ancient Story Teller Amrita Sher-Gil (1913-1941) | Acc. No. 977
Group of Three Girls Amrita Sher-Gil (1913-1941) | Acc. No. 982
Hiraman Tota is a beautiful visual reference by M. A. R. Chughtai to traditional Indian idea of the parrot as a messenger between lovers. This painting is inspired by the miniature style in its use of stylized rendering of banana plants and architectural elements in the background. The dainty little bird is perched on the shoulder of the Nayika, who is busy at her toilet. The scene is steeped in an exquisite romanticism.
On the Look OutAsit Kumar Haldar (1890-1964) | Acc. No. 68
Asit Kumar Haldar visited Ajanta to document the mural paintings of the cave and got inspired by its technique. He has made thirty two paintings on the Buddha’s life and thirty paintings on Indian mythology and myths. In the above painting, he has depicted a woman looking out of her window, rendered with the shades of warm colours and soft lines delineating the contours figures and adding depth in the composition.
Ragamala painting were a part of most schools of Indian paintings, literally meaning the 'Garland of Ragas of the classical music' which became the visual depictions for the artists of Indian miniature schools. In these paintings, not just the Ragas, but also the wives of Ragas, the Raginis and their sons (Ragaputras) and Daughters (Ragaputris) became the themes. This painting depicts the Raga Lalita
View Of Fort Mirani At Muscat Sultanate Of OmanThomas Daniell | Acc. No. 1385
Thomas Daniell is one of the prominent names of English landscape artists travelling to India in the 18th century among many Europeans who traveled to this new land in search of wealth and new possibilities. At this time India was felt to be a growing market for commission of protraits, landscape and architectural views for the European artists. Thomas Daniell with his nephew travelled widely on their journey to India painting in oils and watercolors. His landscapes are known for their picturesque quality and among the best captures of the exotic land.
Thomas Daniell is one of the prominent names of European artist travelling to India in the 18th century among many Europeans who traveled to this new land in search of wealth and new possibilities. His landscapes are known for their picturesque quality and among the best captures of the exotic land. This painting is a fine composition of the Aurengzeb's Mosque seen in the background from the view of the Benimadhava Ghat in Banaras.
Banaras: The Manikarnika GhatThomas Daniell | Acc. No. 1403
Thomas Daniell is one of the prominent names of European artist travelling to India in the 18th century among many Europeans who travelled to this new land in search of wealth and new possibilities. His landscapes are known for their picturesque quality and among the best captures of the exotic land. This painting depicts a landscape with the Mosque.
Telly Kettle was a portrait painter to operate in India to document life. This painting of his portrays the dancers before a temple. It is a very naturalistic depiction of the soft drapes, the ornaments, light and the dramatic rhythm around amongst the audiences watching the dance.
The painting depicts a panoramic picture of old Calcutta with the European designs of the buildings in the landscape of open land of the city. A fine documentation of the scenic terrains in the land of India.
Mukul Chandra Dey was a pioneering artist of dry point etching in India. His work depicts subjects of Indian life and legends from a common manâÂÂs viewpoint. In his work we see the reflection of the river scenes of Bengal, the baul singers, the bazaars of Calcutta, the life of Santhal villages in Birbhum, etc. He is also remembered for his portraits of the rich and the famous like those of the Tagores, Albert Einstein, M.K. Gandhi, the Tatas, and others. The image shows drawign of Indira Gandhi made by Dey.
UntitledVerma, Ravi | Acc. No. 1669 | Oil on Canvas
Head of a Punjabi WomanPestonjee E. Bomanjee (1851-1938) | Acc. No. 1812
The painting depicts a landscape with mountains and moon. Roerich's painting have a mystical character with the use of subtle colors, atmospheric realism, and romanticism.
Bal KrishnaUnknown (Tanjore School) | Acc. No. 3263
Not KnownVerma Ravi | Acc. No. 11646 | Oleograph on paper
Not KnownVerma Ravi | Acc. No. 11647 | Oleograph on paper
A girl holding hooka in one hand and brook in anotherVerma Ravi | Acc. No. 11722 | Oil on canvas
A woman holding a fruitVerma Ravi | Acc. No. 11723 | Oil on canvas
Portrail of H.H. Bhagvat Singhjee of Condal (Gujrat), 1988Brooks Frank | Acc. No. 11753 | Oil on canvas
MalanPithawala M.F. | Acc. No. 13027
Miss ClerkPithawala M.F. | Acc. No. 13031
Miss WilliamPithawala M.F. | Acc. No. 13032
Study of Parsi GirlPithawala M.F. | Acc. No. 13035
YatraRawat M.S. | Acc. No. 13134 | Wood
Goat GrazingMenon K Madhav | Acc. No. 13171 | Water colour on paper
Priest with Elokeshi Kalighat 19th CenturyUnknown | Acc. No. 14734 | Water colour on paper
Two Young Men Gulam Ali khan Comp StyleUnknown | Acc. No. 14737 | Water colour on paper
Study of A FalconUnknown | Acc. No. 14743 | Water colour on paper
Taj Mahal with Slight Celesius Agra, Late - 19th CenturyUnknown | Acc. No. 14753 | Water colour on paper
God, Siva Holding A Skull with Nandi Pahari Guler, Cent. - 1800Unknown | Acc. No. 14766 | Drawing on paper
In the early 1920s Jamini Roy made paintings using only one or two colours with application of paint being flat and the non essential details in the background discarded as in the Chinese landscapes. This painting appears to have been executed in a similar style.
There are touches of irony, playfulness and whimsy in the paintings of birds and beasts that Jamini Roy did even as he stylised them in pure forms. The playful sense of intimacy always comes as a pleasing surprise. This painting of 'Bird' has a witty perkiness.
From 1924 onwards, Jamini Roy experimented with a new idiom as he was looking for ways to simplify form. During this time his images for the most part became either monochromatic bearing an austere play of white, soft grey and black or the palette was limited to the use of one or two colours. With a masterly control of the brush, he created contours of the form with fluid, calligraphic lines. Roy, during this phase painted seated female forms, mother and child figures, bauls, leaping deer, crawling infant. This painting can be classified as belonging to the calligraphic style of painting and is titled 'Woman'.
Landscape (3 Boats) Jamini Roy (1887-1972) | Acc. No. 3133
Jamini Roy's mastery over the techniques of the great European painters led him to paint local landscapes using tempera. He also painted some portraits in this fashion. Interestingly, he continued to show these European style landscapes and portraits along with his newly-evolved folk style. In this particular painting, the artist has depicted a river bank with boats in dabs and dashes of colour in an impressionistic manner.
Yashoda and Krishna Jamini Roy (1887-1972) | Acc. No. 3134
In the mid-1920s, Jamini Roy explored the potential of calligraphic brush drawings. One of his sources of inspiration was the Kalighat style of painting, as can be observed in this painting. It is wonderful to see how the brush glides fluidly to create the contour lines that define Yashoda and the cow. The contour lines suggest both simplicity and volume in the forms. Compared to the minimalist forms that were to come a little later, this brightly-coloured image refers to a serene scene from village life besides being a scene from Krishna's life.
From the end 1920s, began to use traditional pigments from vegetable and mineral sources and the imagery was drawn from village life. He invested the peasants, artisans, followers of religious cults, village women and adivasis with immense dignity. He represented in his paintings what they held sacred. Blacksmith is from the same genre of his paintings.
Christ and a Boy Jamini Roy (1887-1972) | Acc. No. 3140
The series of images depicting the life of Jesus Christ is perhaps one of the boldest experiments in figuration and narrativisation by Jamini Roy. The language of the Christ paintings is remarkable for their grave, contemplative faces in somewhat hieratic poses with iconicity. In this particular painting the figure of Christ and a young boy stand solemnly with frontal gaze and the hands of the child folded together. Jamini Roy narrated episodes from Christian mythology in a way that could communicate itself easily to the ordinary Bengali villager.
Rejecting the academic style painting Jamini Roy introduced a new imagery and art practice representing the adivasis, the peasants and the ordinary villagers inspired by the folk arts of the Bengal region, the forms of which he knew intimately. The two paintings of Drummers is an illustration of the same.
This painting is an evocative image of a rural community. Jamini Roy represents a beautiful practice where groups of Vaishnavas go around villages singing kirtans (devotional songs) on the life of Krishna, and seeking alms. There is a nuance of ecstasy in the raised arms of the figures of the singers. Roy conveys a sense of an idyll where faith, music and dance combine to create an organic wholeness in life. It is also interesting to see how Roy broke down the figure to the essential form that goes into its making and then synthesised it to suggest a structure. Jamini Roy often drew his imagery from village life narrating the life of the peasants, artisans, followers of religious cults, village women and adivasis with immense dignity and representations that were authentic using simplification of form inspired by the folk arts of the region that had evolved over the centuries.
Man with a BirdJamini Roy (1887-1972) | Acc. No. 3150
From the end 1920s, Jamini Roy rejected the European oil medium and began to use the traditional pigments from vegetable and mineral sources. The imagery was often drawn from village life. Jamini Roy invested in the portrayal of peasants, artisans, followers of religious cults, village women and adivasis with immense dignity. He represented in his paintings what they held sacred with references from folk tales and narratives that permeated the rural consciousness. In this particular painting titled 'Man with a bird' the artist has invested his male figure with robust dignity as he rests his arms on a staff atop which is perched a parrot. The figure is painted with thick, black contouring lines and the simplification of forms suggests a sculptural quality. An ornate border along the top margin enclose the figure of the man.
Flight to EgyptJamini Roy (1887-1972) | Acc. No. 3155
The series of images depicting the life of Jesus Christ is one of the most inventive styles in Jamini Roy's oeuvre. He brings to these divine figures both a sense of sacredness as well as a sense of intimacy. This painting narrates the scene from the biblical gospels of the Flight Into Egypt with the figure of Mary, the mother seated with infant Christ on her lap and the mule being led by Joseph. The 'Flight Into Egypt' paintings of the Christ series particularly has a touch of the familiar world with close resemblances of an ordinary family with a new born infant fleeing to safety.
Mother and Child (White Border)Jamini Roy (1887-1972) | Acc. No. 3158
It was probably around 1919 or 1920 that Jamini Roy moved away gradually from European naturalism in search of his own idiom. The Mother and Child image emerged as one of the favourite themes of Roy and here he evokes the mother's protective tenderness towards her child with great sensitivity.There are infinite variations of the mother and child figures. It is difficult to gauge at this distance of time what thoughts led him to experiment with this theme. One wonders whether the subject had an emotional charge for him. Were his experiments with the theme an outcome of Bengal's obsession with mother worship? Or was it just an interesting juxtaposition of forms which helped the possibility of endless explorations? This painting done against a yellow background shows the mother holding the child in her arms and with her drape beautifully encompassing their figures in entirety. Both the mother and child have the almond shaped eyes with a stimulating gaze and the innocence of the figures is strongly suggestive in their humble demeanour. The artist has astutely introduced the colour red in the circular decorative motif at the top right corner and in the hem of the garment.
Gandi BastiD. P. RoyChowdhury | Acc. No. 3215 | Oil on Paper
D.P. Roy Chowdhury's work is known for the portrayal of realism and a theatrical quality in his subject matters. This painting similarly depicts a realistic portrayal of the people of Gandi Basti, where in the one point light focuses on the drama. The use of light, color and the realistic sketch of the masses create the illusion of reality in the work.
Mother and ChildJamini Roy (1887-1972) | Acc. No. 3246
It was probably around 1919 or 1920 that Jamini Roy moved away gradually from European naturalism in search of his own idiom. The Mother and Child image emerged as one of the favourite themes of Roy and here he evokes the mother's protective tenderness towards her child with great sensitivity.There are infinite variations of the mother and child figures. It is difficult to gauge at this distance of time what thoughts led him to experiment with this theme. One wonders whether the subject had an emotional charge for him. Were his experiments with the theme an outcome of Bengal's obsession with mother worship? Or was it just an interesting juxtaposition of forms which helped the possibility of endless explorations? This painting shows the mother holding the child in her arms. That they probably belonged to the Vaishnavite sect is indicated by the religious markings on the forehead of the child. The artist has adopted the tribhanga or the bent axis from the traditional iconography in the representation of the figure of the mother. The innocence of the figures is suggestive in their humble demeanour and the stimulating almond eyes of both the mother and child. There is also a hint of landscape in the form of stylised plants and floral motifs that add to the charm of the painting.
GorkiZainul Abedin | Acc. No. 3383 | Watercolor on Paper
Zainul's drawings and other works are prominently in black ink sketches with a brush on wrapping paper or cardboard. He recorded tragic scenes which have a documentary objectivity and an artistic power in them. In his work there is a spontaneity, sincerity and an uncompromising realism.
The Painting portrays the artist's set up on an arttists' came to document wild life, where in the artist has captured the temporary set up with still life as well as the visiting creatures to it.
ImprovisationRamkinkar Baij | Acc. No. 4350 | Watercolor on Paper
Ramkinkar Baij selected images for his sculptures and paintings from his rural surroundings. The poor and the downtrodden figured primarily as his subjects. His work is characterised by tremendous energy, dynamism and the use of earthy colours. In the above painting, the artist has depicted an abstract composition, rendered with fluid, fine brush strokes delineating the form.
Two figuresRamkinkar Baij | Acc. No. 4385 | Etching Print
Ramkinkar Baij’s artistic temperament was defined at Santiniketan an art institution known for providing an informed western modernistic environment to the students. Baij was immensely influenced by his austere surroundings, the ordinary people and nature that became the subject matter for painting, sculpture and printmaking. The above print depicts a figure overpowering the other. The composition is rendered with linear, firm yet fluid strokes incised on to a metal sheet. The lines are then transferred on the plain surface with the help of ink delineating the contours and suggesting the demeanour of the subjects.
Ramkinkar Baij’s artistic temperament was defined at Santiniketan an art institution known for providing an informed western modernistic environment to the students. Baij was immensely influenced by his austere surroundings, the ordinary people and nature that became the subject matter for painting, sculpture and printmaking. The above print depicts a playful time between a mother and a child lying on a charpoy. The composition is rendered with linear, firm yet fluid strokes incised on to a metal sheet. The lines are then transferred on the plain surface with the help of ink delineating the contours and suggesting the demeanour of the subjects.
An abstract compositionRamkinkar Baij | Acc. No. 4405
Ramkinkar was well aware of the post-industrial art or modern art movements in the western and eastern art worlds and tried to incorporate the dynamics of such changes in his own work while keeping the aesthetic tradition of Santiniketan in focus. In this abstract painting, he has composed different shapes with dabs and dashes of watercolour delineating the forms.
Siva and SatiNandalal Bose | Acc. No. 4793 | Wash and tempera on paper
Nandalal's work reflects changing landscapes, portraits of people, sketches from life and places at the time of changing outlook in the modern Indian cultural domain. His nature to explore the various materials and mediums allowed him to make a prolific body of work in different mediums. Along with his explorations of art, learning from the style of Rabindranath TagoreâÂÂs art and AbanindranathâÂÂs art, he also imbibed the techniques of art from the European indigenous tradition and the Japanese wash technique. This work of his portraying from the Indian mythological themes, shows Shiva and Sati, rendered with the wash technique.
Evening Lamp (Autumn)Nandalal Bose | Acc. No. 4807 | Tempera on paper
Nandalal's work reflected changing landscapes, portraits of people, sketches from life and places at the time of changing outlook in the modern Indian cultural domain. His nature to explore the various materials and mediums allowed him to make a prolific body of work in different mediums. Along with the techniques of art he imbibed from the European indigenous tradition and the Japanese wash technique, he also explored the art of Rabindranath Tagore, Abnindranath, who was his teacher. Thus the techniques of their art also reflect in Nandalal's visual expressions. This work depicts the Autumn season with the lady praying at the evening lamp.
Summer, 1931Nandalal Bose | Acc. No. 4818 | Tempera on paper
The painting details out a beautiful summer landscape. Nandalal Bose was inspired by the traditional Indian art history, the miniatures and the folk art traditions, which reflects in his work at many junctures.
Krishna And Balaram With Cows, 1949Nandalal Bose | Acc. No. 4848
Fascinated by the folk art and indigenous modes of expression, Nandlal Bose incorporated these themes in his work with a unique stylized form in his representations and narratives of the local life. His work reflected changing landscapes, portraits of people, sketches from life and places at the time of changing outlook in the modern Indian cultural domain. His nature to explore the various materials and mediums allowed him to make a prolific body of work in different mediums. This work depicts a theme from lord Krishna's life, where Krishna and Balarama take their cattle for grazing. A fine drawing done with watercolor brush on silk cloth.
BearsNandalal Bose | Acc. No. 4881 | Watercolor on Paper
Nandalal's work depicts changing landscapes, portraits of people, sketches from life and places at the time of changing outlook in the modern Indian cultural domain. His nature to explore the various materials and mediums allowed him to make a prolific body of work in different mediums. He painted many indigenous landscapes with ink wash technique. Most of his landscapes also carry the sign with a seal by the artist like in the Chinese paintings made with wash techniques. The landscapes captured the atmosphere; its vastness, calmness, etc in the lines and tones he used in treating it. Every landscape painted by him, be it a black and white rendering, is unique and a detailed study of the portrayed.
Krishna And ArjunaNandalal Bose | Acc. No. 4925 | Watercolor on Paper
Nandalal's work depicts changing landscapes, portraits of people, sketches from life and places at the time of changing outlook in the modern Indian cultural domain. His nature to explore the various materials and mediums allowed him to make a prolific body of work in different mediums. He painted many indigenous landscapes with ink wash technique. Most of his landscapes also carry the sign with a seal by the artist like in the Chinese paintings made with wash techniques. The landscapes captured the atmosphere; its vastness, calmness, etc in the lines and tones he used in treating it. Every landscape painted by him, be it a black and white rendering, is unique and documented with great details like this work showing the sketch of the tree branch at the Kenduli fair.
A LandscapeMeera Mukherjee (b.1923) | Acc. No. 5488 | Watercolor on Paper
Spirit of Daily WorkNandalal Bose| Acc. No. 12669
Woman Colour Line DrawingJamini Roy (1887-1972) | Acc. No. 12731
From 1924 onwards, Jamini Roy experimented with a new idiom. It was clear that he was looking for ways to simplify form. His images for the most part became monochromatic - an austere play of white, soft grey and black. With a masterly control of the brush, he created contours of the form with fluid, calligraphic lines. Roy, during this phase painted seated female forms, mother and child figures, bauls, leaping deer and crawling infants.
VidyasagarRamkinkar Baij | Acc. No. 13160 | Pen and ink on paper
Ramkinkar Baij was a reclusive modernist artist who always remained on the fringes of the art market. He took a great interest in human figures, body language and in the general human drama. Modern Western art and pre and post-classical Indian art were his main points of reference. Although primarily known for his expressionistic sculpture, he was also a gifted painter. The sense of rhythm that his sculpture was noted for is manifested brilliantly in his paintings and sketches. His works in the Kalighat tradition interconnected with Cubism to achieve an unusual personal idiom. Both his sculpture and his paintings are unprompted and bold.
LotusNandalal Bose | Acc. No. 14659 | Watercolor on Paper
Nandalal's work depicts changing landscapes, portraits of people, sketches from life and places at the time of changing outlook in the modern Indian cultural domain. His nature to explore the various materials and mediums allowed him to make a prolific body of work in different mediums. Bose's sketches captures lived life, people and animals, in the settings with the context and references, with fine rhythmic lines be it pencil, brush, or any medium. Most of his sketches have a strong tendency of documentation and show a continuous involvement with the surroundings that the artist was present in. There are many works that he sketched from his observations of nature in watercolours. This painting is a watercolour rendering of a lotus flower.
Fisher WomenB.B. Mukherjee | Acc. No. 16100 | Watercolour on paper
Benod Behari Mukherjee was a key figure in the Contextual Modernism. His style was a complex fusion of idioms absorbed from Western modern art and the spirituality of oriental traditions (both Indian and Far-Eastern). Some of his works show a marked influence of Far-Eastern traditions, namely calligraphy and traditional wash techniques of China and Japan. This work is a simple collage with paper cuts and watercolours, depicting a fisher women.
Adam And EveB.B. Mukherjee | Acc. No. 16102 | Papercut
This collage with the classical theme of the western art 'Ádam and Eve' reflects the style and the confident strokes of the artist. Benod Behari Mukherjee was a key figure in the Contextual Modernism. His style was a complex fusion of idioms absorbed from Western modern art and the spirituality of oriental traditions (both Indian and Far-Eastern). Some of his works show a marked influence of Far-Eastern traditions, namely calligraphy and traditional wash techniques of China and Japan.
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Head Study Sadanand Bakre (1920-2007) | Acc. No. 971
Thorn, 1955 N. S. Bendre (1910 -1992) | Acc. No. 1136
At the Nizamuddin Fair Bhabesh Chandra Sanyal (1902 - 2003) | Acc. No. 1296
This painting made with oil on paper depict Girls with water pots. While treating the human figures, Kulkarni combined the decorative grace of the classical Indian Painting inspired from Ajanta, with the vitality of the modern art.
A majority of Ram Kumar's paintings show the tragic side of urban life, young middle class boys, problems of financial insecurity, unemployment victims of the joint family etc. His landscapes provide a remarkable illustration of how flat areas of light and dark are organized on the pictorial surface with three-dimensional considerations that are only representational. From 60's onwards, the figure disappears and the image of the physical world, that is of land forms, rocks, hills, houses, birds, stretches of water, sky and clouds; nature in totality with its varied physiognomy seems to engage him. His landscapes, actual (such as Varanasi) or imaginary, offer a scope for form-structure manipulation wherein the subject and style mutually support each other.
Composition in Red V. S. Gaitonde | Acc. No. 1850 | Oil on Canvas
Orchard Avinash Chandra | Acc. No. 2008
Mask K. S. Kulkarni | Acc. No. 2079 | Oil on Paper
Boats in Backwaters Har Krishan Lall | Acc. No. 2227
Mother and Child Ganesh Pyne (1937-2013) | Acc. No. 2472
Painting V. S. Gaitonde | Acc. No. 2563 | Oil on Canvas
The Metascape series is the most distinguished work of Padamsee with the use bold and bright color applications with a denotative sense. The presence of the sun, the moon, mountains and the elements of landscape come out of the his bright canvases with the striking colors he juxtaposes on his canvas.
Human Landscape Tyeb Mehta | Acc. No. 3327 | Oil on Canvas
Tyeb Mehta was among the artists who embraced modernism moving apart form the nationalism in art, with colors from post impressionism, cubist forms and expressionist styles. Considering the themes his work has been concerned with the human conditions in the urban society. The striking proportion of colors that he uses to delineate the cubist forms in his works drive the eye towards his works.
A Sea Shell Dream Jehangir Sabavala | Acc. No. 3608 | Oil on Canvas
Apart from the landscape, the figure always persisted in Sabavala's art as an 'idealized archetype'. There is a geometric and tonal play in his paintings creating the planar intricacies. Here to we can see such a planar intricacy of forms and tones in this work and the human form appearing in bold lines out of the textured background highlight and act as a epilogue to the dream.
Golden Oranges Jehangir Sabavala | Acc. No. 3609 | Oil on Canvas
Mother and Child series are amongst the best known works of the artist In this series of works one can see the mother holding a child, where in the mother represents the persona of Mother Teresa, the persona of motherhood which can be seen even in the biblical images of Virgin Mary.
Mother and Child series are amongst the best known works of the artist In this series of works one can see the mother holding a child, where in the mother represents the persona of Mother Teresa, the persona of motherhood which can be seen even in the biblical images of Virgin Mary.
Old Man & The Bird B.C. Sanyal | Acc. No. 4495 | Oil on Canvas
A self portrait of the grand old man of Delhi, B C Sanyal, clad in a colourful sarong (lungi) sitting bare chested with a bird perched on his shoulder.
Water Enclosed Jaya Appaswamy | Acc. No. 11581 | Oil on Canvas
Horse, 1967 M. F. Hussain | Acc. No. 11896
Bathing Beauty, 1980 K. S. Kulkarni (1918-1994) | Acc. No. 12187
Self Portrait Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002) | Acc. No. 12282
Ecstasy Mixed Media Satish Gujral | Acc. No. 12310
Couple F. N. Souza | Acc. No. 12468 | Watercolor on Paper
Couple F. N. Souza | Acc. No. 12469
Goddes F. N. Souza | Acc. No. 12470
Seated Woman F. N. Souza | Acc. No. 12471
Bal Chhabda (1923 - 2013) Permit Room Bar, 1986 | Acc. No. 12554
Landscape - II Ram Kumar | Acc. No. 12573 | Oil on Canvas
Goddess F. N. Souza | Acc. No. 12586 | Oil on Canvas
The Teeth Ganesh Pyne | Acc. No. 12612 | Tempera on paper
Chintamoni Kar worked in various materials like wood, terracotta, stone and metal. Kar's sculptures are essentially abstract showing an experimentation with forms, combining the concepts and technique into a fusion of convention and sophistication, emphasising on myth and concept. This sculpture in wood is an abstract form showing Shakti.
Through The Darkness Floods K. K. Hebbar | Acc. No. 13567 | Oil on Canvas
Floods K. K. Hebbar | Acc. No. 13568 | Oil on Canvas
One among the Progressive artists, Souza’s art covered range of subjects from still life, landscapes, nudes and icons of Christianity, rendered boldly with a frantic distortion of form. His works were expressive with his style influenced by the western moderns.
Untitled Somnath Hore | Acc. No. 16179 | Paper pulp