The etching titled ‘Resurrection’, was made by the Delhi-based mural artist Achutan Ramachandran (b. 1935) in 1968. This work is reminiscent of Ramchandran’s earlier works (from 1960-1980s), where he created a series of etchings that significantly drew inspiration from the Bible to convey his agony in response to the societal injustice and bloodshed that followed… Read more »
Titles from the Sarmaya library that will draw you further into the heart of Tamil Nadu’s culture through music, architecture, photography and art
Faced with the ravages of the global pandemic, we’re all seeking comfort, beauty and a way to strengthen that inner light no storm can disturb. ‘Shifting Selves’ offers the balm of art and history as it documents this journey inward
This drawing delineates the Biblical tragedy of the crucifixion of Christ. This is one of many compositions of the crucifixion done by the modern artist Francis Newton Souza. FN Souza, a founding member of the Progressive Artists Group (PAG Mumbai, 1947), in many ways shaped the Modern Art movement in India. He explored subjects like… Read more »
The subject of this painting is the bust of a young man. The work is expressionist and connects with the viewer directly. The connection is achieved particularly through the soft but direct gaze of the subject. Artist Jogen Chowdhury has achieved mastery in creating figures using only black lines. These lines are almost always distorted… Read more »
The subject of this minimalist painting is a prostrated man. Artist Jogen Chowdhury’s signature style is in use here – fine, seemingly unbroken lines which create figures infused with feelings of social distress. This painting titled ‘man kneeling’ is a famous composition by Chowdhury first made in 2007. He recreates this image several times thereafter.… Read more »
This painting is among the early works of Jamini Roy. Trained in European painting styles in the Government School of Bengal, Roy began his career with realistic oil portraits and post-impressionist landscapes. He produced several paintings in this style from 1905 to 1930s, but his later indigenous bent oeuvre overshadows them. One such painting in… Read more »
Jamini Roy was probably the first artist to depict Christ in an Indian vocabulary. He was looking to test the effectiveness of his bold line and flat colour technique on a subject which was remote from his personal life. Being an orthodox Hindu who had never read the old or new testaments, Roy saw the… Read more »
Tracing the conundrum of Modernism in India through the works of Bengal’s great painters, as they discovered themselves, both reflecting and shaping the world around them
The bond between mother and child has been a uniquely potent theme for art around the world and across the ages. From Kitagawa Utamaro’s ‘Midnight: Mother and Sleepy Child’ (1790) to Gustav Klimt’s ‘Hope II’ (1907-08), here are eight pieces to revisit in time for Mother’s Day.
Worldwide lockdowns may have left most of the world’s population without options to physically visit museums or galleries for the foreseeable immediate future. The exception? Gerbills Pandoro and Tiramisu, whose bored and quarantined owners toiled hours to build a rodent-sized gallery stocked with rodent-versions of famous artworks. From The Scream to the Mona Lisa, the… Read more »
As one of the founders of the Progressive Artists’ Group and an idealist who was once imprisoned for participating in MK Gandhi’s salt satyagraha, KH Ara seemed to have acquired a somewhat avuncular air in the art scene of ’40s and’50s Bombay. That was rudely challenged when he got into nudes. And he got into… Read more »
From Edvard Munch’s haunting self-portrait made after he survived the deadly Spanish Flu (unlike many of his contemporaries) to a Benetton ad that brought AIDS imagery to the mainstream, art that has emerged from epidemics in the past are all around us. Read what they tell us about what it is to be human.
Legendary artist, sculptor and architect Satish Gujral passed away on 26 March 2020, at the age of 94. His most celebrated works of art include “Days of Glory” and “Mourning en masse,” which capture the anguish and suffering that he felt in the decades post partition. He had also designed prominent buildings as an architect,… Read more »
As a large portion of the world’s population takes up social distancing and self imposed quarantines to slow the spread of covid-19, here are fifteen artworks that may prove particularly relatable. From Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s ‘Veronica Veronese’ (1872) to A$AP Rocky’s ‘Lab Rat ‘(2018), they explore themes of social isolation and loneliness, and capture the bleakness… Read more »
Four masters of modern Indian art with one city in common. From the aesthetic to the spiritual, Hyderabad has affected these artists’ oeuvres in a multitude of ways
Using works from our modern and contemporary art collection, we decipher terms used very often by critics and art insiders
Before you try to find it, let us clarify right away that there isn’t a common thread connecting the five artists in our Spotlight this month. The art of Bhupen Khakhar, Shakuntala Kulkarni, Manisha Gera Baswani, Dibin Thilakan and Gopa Trivedi are covered by the umbrella term ‘modern and contemporary art’ but this slightly worn… Read more »
Among the very high-profile artworks going under the hammer for Sotheby’s auction of 20th-century Indian art from the Guy and Helen Barbier collection is this work by Bhupen Khakhar. ‘Two Men in Benares’ caused a sensation in 1982 for its bold homo-erotic theme and today it’s valued at between Rs 3.9 and 5 crore . Visit… Read more »
The work deals with the theme of crucifixion. There is a central figure on a cross and other figures are gathered around, perhaps representing the mourners. Rudimentary architectural elements can be seen in the background. KG Subramanyan was actively involved in the freedom struggle and was known for his Gandhian ideology. His visit to Santiniketan… Read more »