Rajasthani School Of

Painting
 Mewar School Of Painting
Name : Maru Ragini
Medium : Watercolour On Paper
Technique : Tempera
Artist : Sahib Din
Time: 1650 - 80 A.D.
Dimension : 26 X 17
Collection : National Museum Of New Delhi
.
The initial part of the inscription found on the painting, representing Maru Ragini, classifies Maru as
the ragini of Raga Shri and describes her physical beauty and its effect on her beloved. It is the latter
half that is engrossing as it reads, “… samvat 1685 varshe aso vad 9 Rana Shri Jagat Singh Rajen
Udaipur madhe likhitam chitara Sahivdin bachan hara ne ram ram.” Maru is accommodated as
the consort of Raga Shri because of the popular appeal of Dhola-Maru ballad that is
deeply entrenched in the folklore and oral tradition of the region. It is the story of a prince
named, Dhola, and princess Maru, who had to undergo numerous struggles to finally be
together. The trials and tribulations, the evil relatives, battles, tragic accidents, etc., form
the plot of the narrative. Here, they are depicted escaping together on a camel.
Jodhpur School Of Painting
Name : Chaugan Players
Artist : Dana
Medium : Watercolour On Paper
Technique : Tempera
Time : 1810 A.D.
Dimension : 25 X 19
Collection : National Museum Of New Delhi
This painting, depicting a princess playing Polo (Chaugan) with companions,
by artist Dana represents Jodhpur painting of Man Singh’s reign. It may or
may not be from the main court as it betrays stylistic influence of many
schools, such as Mughal in the way women are depicted, Deccani in the
way horses are depicted, Bundi and Kishangarh in the depiction of facial
features, and the flat green background is suggestive of the indigenous
preference for flat surfaces. The painting is inscribed with a line on the
upper portion that is translated as, “beautiful maidens on horsebacks,
playing”.
Bikaner School Of Painting
Name : Krishna Swinging and Radha in Sad Mood
Medium : Watercolour On Paper
Tecnique : Tempera
Artist : Nuruddin
Time : 1683 A.D.
Dimension : 8 X 12
Collection : National Museum Of New Delhi
Appearing in the upper section of the painting, Krishna seated on a swing seems to be
enjoying himself in the company of a Gopi at her dwelling. On learning about his
rendezvous a jilted Radha, stricken with grief, disappears into the countryside and
finds herself alone under a tree. Guilt-ridden Krishna, on learning of Radha’s sorrow,
follows her but there is no truce happening. Meanwhile, Radha’s sakhi (friend) gets to
know of the fall out and takes on the role of a messenger and pacifier. She comes to
Krishna and tells him of the misery and plight of Radha, and implores him to appease
her.
Kishangarh School Of Painting
Name : Bani Thani
Medium : Oil Painting On Canvas
Artist : Nihal Chand
Time : 1750 A.D.
Dimension : 39 X 52
Collection : National Museum Of New Delhi.
Bani Thani was Sawant Singh’s muse for the poetry he wrote, celebrating the love of Radha
and Krishna. Nihal chand’s painting of Bani Thani, thus, representing a blending of poetry and
painting. Troubled by fratricidal conflict, Sawant Singh, eventually, abdicated the throne in
1757 and retired to Vrindavan along with Bani Thani. The exaggerated facial type of
Kishangarh, which becomes the distinctive and salient stylistic feature of the Kishangarh
School, is believed to have been derived from the attractively sharp facial features of Bani
Thani. Artist Nihal Chand is attributed with the credit of contriving this exquisite and
characteristic Kishangarh physiognomy that is perceived in figures of Sawant Singh and Bani
Thani is always represented as Krishna and Radha in brilliantly coloured, panoramic
landscapes. Radha’s face in Bani Thani as Radha is unique in her deeply curved eyes,
exaggerated arch of the eyebrows, pointed nose, serpentine curl of hair spiralling down the
cheek, thin lips and pronounced chin. This particular painting is in the collection of National
Museum, New Delhi.
Jaipur School Of Painting
Name : Rama meets Members of his Family at Chitrakut
Medium : Watercolour On Paper
Artist : Guman
Time : 1740 – 1750 A.D.
Dimension : 15 X 10
Collection : National Museum Of New Delhi
Plain looking huts (parna kutir) raised with basic material, such as mud, wood and green leaves
set in the woods on the foothills and surrounded by groves establish a typical rural setting, where
this episode of Ramayana unfolds. Artist Guman begins the narrative from the left and ends it on
the right. According to the Ramayana, Bharat was away when Rama was sent to exile. After the
passing away of Dashratha, overcome with grief and filled with remorse, Bharat along with the
three mothers, sage Vasishtha and courtiers visits Rama to persuade him to return to Ayodhya.
Set in Chitrakut, the story in the painting begins with the three mothers along with the wives of
the princes proceeding towards the thatched dwellings. On seeing the mothers, Rama,
Lakshmana and Sita bow down in reverence. Bereaved Kaushalya rushes to her son Rama and
gathers him in her arms. Rama is, then, seen respectfully greeting the other two mothers—
Sumitra and Kaikeyi. He, then, dutifully acknowledges the two sages and sits down talking to
them. When the sage breaks the news of Dashratha’s death, Rama is seen collapsing in
anguish. Sumanta is seen devotedly standing behind the sages. The three mothers and the
wives of Lakshmana, Bharat and Shatrughana are depicted talking to Sita. The narrative ends
with the group exiting the picture frame on the right. Each character of the story in the painting is
labeled. A verse, describing the same, is also inscribed on the upper portion of the painting.
Pahari School Of
Painting
Basohli School Of Painting
Name : Krishna With Gopis
Medium : Watercolour On Paper
Technique : Tempera
Artist : Manaku
Time : 1730 A.D.
Dimension : 20.5 X 37
Collection : National Museum Of New Delhi
The theme of this painting have been selected from the ‘Gita Govinda’ series. The painting presents
Krishna surrounded by gopis singing and dancing on the bank of river Yamuna. The composition is in
typical Basohli style with geometrical pattern. The use of bold colour infused vitality in the painting.
Krishna is wearing a bright yellow dress with his upper body naked but ornamented. He is also wearing a
crown with jewels and peacock plumes. Five gopis have been shown around Krishna who is in the centre
of the painting. They are adoring Krishna who is wearing a graceful loin cloth and is embracing two of the
gopis.One gopi is on the right side of the painting with folded hands (seems to be Radha) with an
attendant holding a round fan over Radha’s head. Two gopis on the left side are talking to each other
(one at the left end is holding chauri). All faces have large lotus-shaped eyes and the same line starting
from forehead to nose have been shown beautifully. Hands and feet of gopis have been decorated in red
colour. The composition has bright and bold lustrous colours. The small portion of Yamuna river in the
foreground has been shown. The background has been depicted in orange colour. We can find some
trees with deferent shapes of leaves but they are having the same level of height. One each side a big
tree is there in the background. Orange, yellow, sky blue and red colours have been used. Krishna’s
crown is very attractive and ornaments of gopis are very decorative.
Kangra School Of Painting
Name : Krishna With Kinsmen Going To Vrindavana
Medium : Watercolour On Paper
Artist : Nainsukha
Time : 1785 – 90 A.D.
Dimension : 8 X 11
Collection : National Museum, New Delhi.

This painting depicts the scene from Bhagvat Puranam in which Nand (Krishna's
father), Yashoda (Krishna's mother) and kinsmen are going to Virindavan. Here there
are a total of 13 people in this painting.
Lord Krishna is blue wearing a golden crown and gold jewellery on his neck. The paiting
also shows Balram wearing a crown and both of them are pointing towards the sky
indicating Virindavan. There are 3 people bathing in the river Yamuna.
In the left side of the river bank there is a tree with a cut stem on which a bird is resting.
Meanwhile on the right side, there is a tree with creepers coiled around it. The sky is
bright showing the golden towers of the buildings in the city of Virinthavan.
Every people in this painting can be seen as half naked except for Nandh and Yashoda.
The people has worn dresses with stripes on it with multicoloured turban on their head.
Mughal School Of
Painting
 Mughal School Of Painting
Name : Krishna Lifts Mount Govardhan
Medium : Watercolour On Paper
Artist : Miskin
Time: 1700 – 25 A.D.
Dimension : 26 X 17
Collection : Metropolitan Museum Of Art, New York, U.S.A

Krishna Lifts Mount Govardhan from a dispersed Harivamsa Purana is attributed to Miskin.
.
This painting is on a theme from Harivamsa. Badauni, a scholar noble in the court of Akbar,
was assigned the job of translating this volume on Lord Krishna into Persian. It is
interesting to note that Badauni was famous for his orthodox religious views, much unlike
Abul Fazl, another famous scholar chronicler in Akbar’s court.Hari or Lord Krishna lifted the
mountain, Govardhan, with all creatures dwelling therein with the intention to protect
them—the villagers and their livestock, who were his followers, from torrential rain sent by
another powerful God Indra. Hari uses the mountain like a huge umbrella, under which the
entire village takes refuge.
Mughal School Of Painting
Name : Falcon On A Bird Rest
Artist : Ustad Mansoor
Medium : Watercolour On Paper
Technique : Tempera
Time : 1615 A.D.
Dimension : 9 X 14
Collection : Cleveland Museum Of Art, Ohio, U.S.A

Jahangir had fine falcons brought to his collection, and as a keen connoisseur, he
had them painted. These images were included in his official biography
Jahangirnama. There is an interesting episode described by him of a falcon
brought as a present from Persian emperor Shah Abbas. This is to do with the
falcon, which was mauled by a cat, resulting in its death, and the Emperor
desired his painters to paint the dead falcon, preserving its memory for posterity.
The painting shown here, Falcon Perched on a Bird Rest (1615), is one of the
many paintings that were painted by the Mughal artist, Ustad Mansur.
Mughal School Of Painting
Name : Kabir And Raidas
Medium : Watercolour On Paper
Technique : Tempera
Artist : Ustad Faquirullah Khan
Time : 1640 A.D.
Dimension : 19 X 12
Collection : National Museum Of New Delhi
This horizontal painting of saint KABEER shows him weaving a garment on his
loom, in a meditating mood. The other saint, RAIDAS sitting closed by, is also in
the same mood. Both are meditating on a same religious topic. The painting
brings simple and peaceful Indian village life, where work is worship. The huts of
the saints are in rural Indian villages. The colours used are brown and light blue.
The border of the painting is light brown and shades are very fine. DARA SHIKOH
(son of shahjahan) resected both Hindu and Muslim saints. This is the master
piece of the paintings painted during that time.
Mughal School Of Painting
Name : The Marriage Procession of Dara Shikoh
Medium : Watercolour On Paper
Artist : Haji Madni
Time : 1740 A.D.
Dimension : 23 X 14
Collection : National Museum Of New Delhi.
This painting, a work by artist Haji Madni, belongs to the period of Shah
Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal in Agra. It is a portrayal of the marriage
procession of Dara Shikoh, the eldest son of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.
The Mughal prince is shown mounted on a brown stallion with the traditional
sehra and is accompanied by his father, Shah Jahan, who has a resplendent
nimbus around hid head, riding a white horse. The marriage procession is
accompanied and received by music, dance, gifts and fireworks. The artist
has created the glamour of the marriage procession with all its pomp and
show. This painting is in the collection of the National Museum, New Delhi,
India.
Deccan School Of
Painting
 Hyderabad
Name : Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya and Amir Khusra
Medium : Watercolour On Paper
Artist : Unknown
Time : 1238 – 1325 C.E.
Dimension : 11 X 17
Collection : National Museum Of New Delhi
This provincial painting in the collection of National Museum, New Delhi,
is from Hyderabad, Deccan. It depicts Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, the
revered Sufi saint of the thirteenth century, listening to music being
played by his disciple, Hazrat Amir Khusrau, a renowned Indian poet
and scholar. Even to this day, the dargah of Hazrat Nizamudin Auliya in
New Delhi has qawwali by Khusrau in praise of his pir. Devotees from
all over the world come here to witness this regular cultural practice.
The painting is naive and basic without technical and artistic
sophistication of a court painting. However, it is charming and narrative
of a popular Indian theme. .
Gol Konda
Name : Chand Bibi playing Polo
Medium : Watercolour On Paper
Technique : Tempera
Artist : Unknown
Time : 1700 - 1750 A.D.
Dimension : 26 X 42
Collection : National Museum Of New Delhi

This painting shows Chand Bibi, the Queen of Bijapur, one of the
most prosperous and culturally refined Deccani state. Chand Bibi
resisted the Mughal political attempts to overtake the state by
Emperor Akbar. A revered and accomplished ruler, Chand Bibi
was a great sportsperson. Here, she is showing playing chaugan,
the other name for equestrian polo game, a popular royal sport of
the time. The painting appears to be provincial of much later
period, and is in the collection of National Museum, New Delhi,
India.
Bengal School Of
Painting
Bengal School Of Painting
Name : Journey’s End
Medium : Watercolour On Paper
Technique : Wash Painting
Artist : Abanindranath Tagore
Time : 1913.
Dimension : 82 X 59
Collection : National Gallery Of Modern Art, New Delhi.
In this painting, a collapsed camel is shown in red background of dusk and in
that sense it personifies the end of a journey through the end of a day.
Abanindranath tried to capture the portrait and narration with the help of
symbolic aesthetics on one hand and literary allusions on the other. The
physical features of the camel rendered appropriately in fine lines and
delicate tones, and its sensory texture leads us to the meaning of the
painting. Abanindranath has also painted The Forest, Coming of Night,
Mountain Traveller, Queen of the Forest and a series of 45 paintings based
on The Arabian Nights.
 Bengal School Of Painting
Name : Shiva And Sati
Medium : Watercolour On Paper
Technique : Wash Painting
Artist : Nandal Bose
Time: 1908.
Dimension : 18 X 11
Collection : National Gallery Of Modern Art, New Delhi

. Shiva and sati is a beautiful painting by Nandlal Bose. It shows a mythological event of Lord Shiva and his
wife Sati ( Parvati). This is a dramatic depiction on offset paper using yellow, brown,violet, red colours in
various shades and tones. In the background of the picture, the light and dark combination of brown and
yellow colours have been used to show the sky which goes to merge with earth’s surface looking undulating
shape through violet, brown and white colours. In the center of the picture, lord shiva and sati have been
depicted prominently in the sad mood. Shiva sits looking at sati’s faded face helplessly and stretching both
arms to support the body of Sati which is lying on his left knee in unconscious state wearing necklaces,
earings, armlets, bracelets and light red colour saree. An aura of light yellow colour has been shown behind
Shiva’s head. His forehead looks bright and his hair are tied in a bun on top. He is wearing necklace and a
snake around his neck.The torso of Lord Shiva is looking a little bulky. Foreground of the painting looks like
a blurry vision.
Bengal School Of Painting
Name : Radhika
Medium : Watercolour On Paper
Technique : Tempera And Wash Painting
Artist : Abdul Rehman Chughtai
Time : 1949 A.D.
Dimension : 20 X 24
Collection : National Gallery Of Modern Art, New Delhi
In this painting, Radhika is portrayed walking away from a lighted lamp in a gloomy
background as if in a state of trance or remorse. The subject is based on Hindu
mythology. He also painted characters from legends, folklore and history of the Indo-
Islamic, Rajput and Mughal world. The light and shade of the background represent
the finest heights of simplification. Chughtai had stylistic affinities with renowned
Chinese and Japanese masters. The character is drawn gracefully, with a lyrical
quality of calligraphy in every line. It is as if a poem finds visual form. Other works,
which carry these poetic qualities, are Gloomy Radhika, Omar Khayyam, Dream,
Hiraman Tota, Lady under a Tree, Musician Lady, Man behind a Tomb, Lady beside
a Grave and Lady lighting a Lamp.
Bengal School Of Painting
Name : Meghdoot
Medium : Watercolour On Paper
Technique : Tempera And Wash Painting
Artist : Ram Gopal Vijayargiya
Time : 1940 - 45.
Dimension : 10.5 X 14
Collection : Private

It illustrates a scene from Kalidasa's Sanskrit poem "Meghdootam“. The

painting depicts a yaksha (nature spirit) standing on a rocky outcrop, gazing
longingly at a distant cloud. The yaksha holds a letter or message in his
hand. The cloud, personified as a majestic figure, floats above the
Himalayas. The background features lush greenery, trees, and distant
mountains. Delicate lines and intricate patterns.Vibrant colors: green, blue,
gold, and red. Masterful use of perspective and spatial relationships.
Expressive facial expressions and body language. Incorporation of Islamic
calligraphy and geometric patterns. Intricate border designs and ornate
frames adorn the painting. The painting often features an inscription from
Kalidasa's Meghdootam, highlighting the poem's theme.
Modern Indian Art
 Modern Indian Art
Name : Rama Vanquishing The Pride Of The Ocean
Medium : Oil Painting On Canvas
Artist : Raja Ravi Verma
Time : 1880 A.D.
Dimension : 35 X 50
Collection : Sri Jayachama Rajendra Art Gallery, Jagan Mohan Palace, Mysore

"Sri Rama Vanquishing the Sea" is a famous painting by the Indian master
Raja Ravi Varma Varuna that depicts Varuna, the Lord of ocean, pacifying Sri
Rama, angered at the intransigence of the sea to give way to enter Lanka. Sri
Ram and his army of vanaras, half-human, half-simian forest folk, reach the
sea on their way to Lanka but find it too storm-tossed to cross. Lord Ram
calls upon Varuna to calm the waters but he doesn’t respond or appear.
Enraged, Lord Ram, picks up his bow and aims an arrow, imbued with
Brahma’s strength, at the ocean. Before he can shoot it though, the Lord of
the Ocean appears and asks forgiveness.
 Modern Indian Art
Name : Mother And Child
Medium : Gouache On Paper
Technique : Tempera
Artist : Jamini Roy
Time : 1940.
Dimension : 36 X 73.5
Collection : National Gallery Of Modern Art, New Delhi

Mother and Child)" is one of the most famous paintings by the Indian
Modernist Jamini Roy depicting a girl child in the protective embrace of her
mother. The bond between a mother and a child is considered to be the
strongest and most precious. Roy used bold, sweeping brushstrokes while
painting and restricted his palette to seven vibrant and earthy colours – Indian
red, yellow ochre, cadmium green, vermillion, grey, blue and white. Roy's
rejection of the then modern style of painting and his foray into the realm of
Bengali folk paintings marked a new beginning in the history of Indian modern
art.
 Modern Indian Art
Name : Haldi Grinder
Medium : Oil Painting On Canvas
Artist : Amrita Sher-Gil
Time : 1940.
Dimension : 76.5 X 102
Collection : National Gallery Of Modern Art, New Delhi
Amrita Sher-Gil painted Haldi Grinder in 1940. This was the time when she was
seeking inspiration from India’s idyllic rural scene. Such a scene, depicting Indian
women busy in a traditional activity of grinding dry turmeric, had to be painted in
Indian style. It is not surprising that she used bright, saturated pigments to paint this
work. Given her training in modern art in Europe, she was quick to see parallels
between miniature traditions of north India and modern art of Paul Gaugin, an artist
she admired. This is evident in the way she has placed bright colour patches close to
each other and created shapes of figures by colour contrast and not outline. Such a
style of painting reminds us of, as for instance, the Basohli paintings from north India.
The women and trees are painted as flat shapes. Sher-Gil is not interested in creating
any depth in the landscape and prefers a semi-abstract pattern as a modern artist.
Modern Indian Art
Name : Mother Teresa
Medium : Oil Painting On Canvas
Artist : Maqbool Fida Husain
Time : 1980.
Dimension : 2330 X 1280
Collection : National Gallery Of Modern Art, New Delhi.
This painting by M. F. Husain of the saintly figure, Mother Teresa, belongs to the
1980s. It is painted in a style typically of this artist, who created a new language of
modern Indian art. The figure of the faceless Mother appears several times, each
time holding a baby with a lot of attention given to the hand. The central figure of the
seated Mother has a grown up man lying on her lap horizontally. This speaks of the
artist’s familiarity with European art, especially, the famous sculpture of Italian
Renaissance master, Michelangelo’s Pieta. On the other hand, the flat shapes used
to depict the scene are modern. They appear like a collage of paper cutouts. The
artist is not interested in showing us the life of Mother Teresa realistically but uses
bare suggestions. We, as viewers, have to follow the clues left by the artist to make
sense of the story. It is the kneeling figure of the woman on one side that gives us a
hint that the story about healing and nursing the helpless is unfolding in India.
Modern Indian Art
Name : Children
Medium : Print
Technique : Monochromatic etching with aquatint
Artist : Somnath Hore
Time : 1958.
Dimension : 17.8 X 23.5
Collection : National Gallery Of Modern Art, New Delhi.
The experience of the Bengal Famine of 1943, left a lasting impression on him. His early sketches and
drawings were spot and life drawings of hapless victims of the famine, suffering and dying peasants, sick
and infirm destitute, and portraits of men, women, children and animals. These line drawings, which
followed representational contours and tonal devices, were seldom adopted. In this etching, images of
children were taken from the experience of the famine of 1943, which was etched in his memory. This is
a close knit composition with five standing figures, having no background, perspective or surrounding
situation as the figures are talking to themselves. The figures are linear, each with a skeletal torso of a
huge malaria spleen and ribcage for the thorax. Supporting a huge skull, with a small face, the whole
body is seen resting on two stick-like legs. Strong definitional lines of straight linear gestures, which
etched each rib of the thorax and each cheekbone, appears as deep gashing wounds. The bone
structure just beneath the skin renders the effect of malnutrition on the people. It creates narrative quality
in the picture without taking recourse to placing the figures in a situation of supporting visual data,
following reductionist and simplification method. These children represent the most vulnerable section of
the society.
 Modern Indian Art
Name : Devi
Medium : Etching On Paper
Artist : Jyoti Bhatt
Time : 1970.
Dimension : 57.2 X 45.7
Collection : Bihar Museum, Patna
This is an etching on paper made by Jyoti Bhatt (1934) in 1970. He studied painting,
printmaking and photography, and was inspired by his mentor K. G. Subramanyan. He
carved out an art language based on folk traditions and popular practices. He brings
together many visual elements into the a composite narrative. His works occupy
tenuous balance between space tradition and modernity, where the past as a vibrant
repository of forms is translated into dynamics of the contemporary. In this print,
pictorial image of Devi is re-cast and re-contextualised with a linear drawing of the
frontal face of a woman, folk motifs and patterns. The portrait of Devi is centrally
placed as an iconic image. The two-dimensionality of words and motifs around the
portrait expresses the Tantric philosophy, evoking the power of self-evolution and
self-involution, seeing reality as the intertwining dynamic and static principle of Shakti.
Modern Indian Art
Name : Of Walls
Medium : Etching On Paper
Artist : Anupam Sud
Time : 1982.
Dimension : 50 X 63
Collection : National Gallery Of Modern Art, New Delhi.

This is an etching made from zinc plate and printed on paper made by Anupam Sud
in 1982. She had studied printmaking at the Slade School of Fine Art, University
College, London, in the early 1970s. When she returned to India, she was drawn to
its everyday reality. Apart from her deep interest in social problems faced by people,
belonging to marginalised communities of the society, she was keen to understand
them artistically. Notice how she creates an interesting form of a woman by
hollowing out the face. The absence of face gives it a brooding and sad expression.
The painting depicts the figure of a lonely woman seated on the pavement before a
dilapidated wall. In the foreground, we only get a glimpse of the lower part of a poor
man sleeping on the ground, contrasting with the clothed woman, and adds to the
sadness of the print.
 Modern Indian Art
Name : Rural South Indian Man–Woman
Medium : Etching Print On Paper
Artist : Laxma Goud
Time : 2017.
Dimension : 30 X 22
Collection : National Gallery Of Modern Art, New Delhi
This is an etching print on paper made by Laxma Goud (1940...) in 2017. Laxma
Goud, a fine draftsman and printmaker, studied mural painting and printmaking at
M. S. University, Baroda, and was influenced by his teacher K. G. Subramanyan’s
experiments with the narrative mode and figuration of visual traditions, classical,
folk and popular cultures. He tries to erase sharp demarcations between major
and minor arts, thus, giving it linguistic breath. This has helped him straddle
various mediums, such as glass painting, terracotta and bronze. In this etching,
human figures are shown with trees in the background. It is based on his
childhood memories immersed in nature. The work is a combination of highly
ornate contours, realistic depiction of the peasants and a gentle stylization that
gives a touch of puppets to the figures represented in the print. This print is
line-based and coloured.
Modern Indian Art
Name : Santhal Family
Medium : Metal Armature And Cement Mixed With Pebbles
Artist : Ramkinker Baij
Time : 1937.
Location : Kala Bhavana, Shantiniketan

This is an open air large-scale sculpture created by Ramkinker Baij in 1937. It is

made out of metal armature and cement mixed with pebbles, and placed in the
compound of Kala Bhavana, Shantiniketan, India’s first national art school. It shows
a scene of a Santhal man, carrying his children in a double basket joined by a pole,
and his wife and dog walking alongside. Perhaps, it speaks of the family migrating
from one region to another, carrying all their frugal possessions. This must be an
everyday scene for the artist living amidst the rural landscape. However, he gives it a
monumental status. The sculpture is made in the round, which means that we can
see it from all sides. It is placed on a low pedestal, making us feel as if we are part of
the same space. The significance of this work is that it is regarded as the first public
modernist sculpture in India. We do not need to go to a museum to see it as it is
placed outside Kala Bhavana. The material of which it is made of is important. The
artist has avoided traditional medium like marble, wood or stone, and has preferred
cement, the symbol of modernisation. .
Modern Indian Art
Name : Cries Un-heard
Medium : Bronze Sculpture
Artist : Amarnath Sahgal
Time : 1958.
Location : National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi.

This is a sculpture in bronze made by Amarnath Sahgal in 1958. Although the

artist only uses abstraction, in which three figures are stick-like and shown in flat
rhythmical planes, yet it is easy to understand them as a family—husband, wife
and child. They are shown flinging their arms above and crying out for help in
vain. Through the medium of sculpture, their helplessness expressed by the
hand gesture is turned into a permanent shape. It is possible for us to read this
work as socialist, whereby, the artist pays homage to millions of destitute
families in need of help, whose cries fall on deaf ears. None other than socialist
poet, Mulk Raj Anand, wrote movingly about this work, which now is in the
collection of the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi. .
 Modern Indian Art
Name : Ganesha
Medium : Oxidised Copper Sculpture
Artist : P. V. Janakiram
Time : 1970
Dimension : 30.4 X 50
Collection : National Gallery Of Modern Art, New Delhi.
This is a sculpture in oxidised copper made by P. V. Janakiram in 1970, and is in the collection
of NGMA, Delhi. He has used sheets of copper to create pictorial sculpture as free-standing
forms, and ornamented their surface with linear elements. Metal sheets are beaten into
concave planes on which are welded linear details. These linear elements work as facial
features and decorative motifs to suggest religious icons, inviting intimate contemplation.
Janakiram is influenced by the ancient temple sculpture of South India. The image of Ganesha,
crafted frontally, lends an important indigenous character of cave and temple sculpture. In this
sculpture, Ganesha is palying vina, a musical instrument. Details on the sculpture and technical
blending of material, nevertheless, reveal his meticulous craftsmanship. He also experimented
with the ‘openendedness’ quality of indigenous workmanship. Ganesha reveals his
understanding of traditional imagery. He has elaborated linear details into overall form.
The sculpture is conceived in terms of linear silhouettes instead of emphasis on three-
dimensionality, despite its volume. Rhythm and growth are incorporated through lyrical
stylisation. It is also an amalgamation of folk and traditional craftsmanship.
Thank You