Insights: Man Ray & Raghu Rai

Man Ray was born Emmanuel Radnitzky in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 27th August, 1890. Not only was he one of the most crucial figures in the radical Dadaist and Surrealist movements, but his subject matter even included the monumental figures of Pablo Picasso, James Joyce, Gertrude Stein, and Salvador Dali.

Vasudeo S. Gaitonde - A Tapestry

Gaitonde grew up in Nagpur, Maharashtra and studied at the J. J. School of Art. In 1947, he was invited to join the Progressive Artists’ Group and went on to become one of its original members. He worked with various mediums and used a roller and palette knives to create his own layered texture, which later became his signature style.

Flowers & Perspective - K H Ara

Born in 1914 K. H. Ara, a founder member of the Progressive Artists’ Group, evolved his trademark style, through nudes and still-life paintings. At first, he preferred to make still lifes for commission due to his financial status. He was a modernist for whom the form and language of art preceded all other social and political motivations. This evolved a certain eclecticism which led him in an exploration of his own style unlike other members of PAG.

Somnath Hore: Form & Figuration

Somnath Hore was born in 1921 in Chittagong studied at the Government College of Art in Calcutta. He witnessed the chain of devastation left by the Japanese bombing raid on Chittagong which was followed by a man made famine in 1943. Such suffering deeply impacted Hore and led him to outpour in sketches and poster drawing, which documented the devastation.

1920's Jorasanko Zamindari Library

Here we have a particularly rare collection -- an entire library from a Jorasanko Palace. The Estate of its provenance has been documented as the most successful private enterprise in British India in the mid-19th century (Somerset Playne, Bengal and Assam, Behar and Orissa, 1917).

Two rare works by N.S. Bendre

Born in 1910 in Indore, N. S. Bendre trained at the State Art School in Indore in 1929. Bendre’s early works can be described as Impressionist and academic in style. He is well known for founding the Baroda Group of artists in 1956 as well as founding the Lalit Kala Akademi in Delhi.

Raja Deen Dayal - Nizam's Hyderabad

Born in 1844 in Sardhana near Meerut, Lala Deen Dayal was educated at Thompson’s Civil Engineering College in Roorkee. Deen Dayal’s interest in photography started when he caught the eye of Sir Henry Daly.

Bikash Bhattacharjee's Early Work

Bikash Bhattacharjee was born in Kolkata in 1940 and graduated from the Indian College of Arts and Draftsmanship, Kolkata in 1963. His works were inspired by his early childhood and environment.

Francis Newton Souza's 1961 Pope

Francis Newton Souza was born in 1924 in Saligao, Goa. He was expelled for participating in the Quit India Movement while studying at the Sir J J School of Art in Mumbai. In 1947, he founded the Progressive Artists' Group along with S H Raza, M F Husain and K H Ara, among others. Souza's style created thought-provoking and powerful images.

Early Abstraction in Indian Art

Abstract art or non objective art is a painting or sculpture that does not depict a person, place, or any other figure. With abstract art, the subject of the work is what you see: color, shapes, brushstrokes, size, scale, or just the process.

Prabhakar Kolte : Abstract Painter

Prabhakar Kolte was born in 1946 in Nerur Par, Maharashtra. He completed his diploma from the Sir J.J. School of Arts, Mumbai in 1968. He also taught there from 1972 to 1994.

G R Santosh : Early abstract works

Santosh began his career painting landscapes at home in Kashmir before being spotted by S. H. Raza, who encouraged him to study at the Maharaja Sayajirao University at Baroda under N. S. Bendre. He started painting figurative and abstract works before he completely switched to tantra inspired works in 1964.

M V Dhurandhar : The female muse

Born in 1867 in Kolhapur, Dhurandhar was a master of watercolour. One of the most popular Indian artists, he was inspired to be an artist after his saw Raja Ravi Varma’s works of art. He studied at Sir JJ School of Art in Bombay and was an expert in western academic style of painting. Although, his subject matter was Indian in character, his works had the style of realism that western artists of that time had.

Abanindranath Tagore : Asian Art

Abanindranath Tagore was known as the father of modernism in India. Inspired by nationalist leaders who were demanding independence from the British, many Indians were using local products instead of imported and expensive foreign products.

Understanding Types of Prints

In simple terms, a print is created where ink is transferred from a block or plate on to a paper. Depending on the technique used, there are different outcomes and as a result, they have been further divided into categories. Each printing technique has its own distinctive style depending on tools and materials used.

Chittaprosad : Linocut Prints

Born in 1915 in Bengal, Chittaprosad was a self taught artist and illustrator. He was educated in Chittagong, Bengal. He had no formal training as he refused to join the Government College of Art, Calcutta. He was also a member of the Communist party in India at the time and rejected the caste system.

Tribal Caucasian Kazak Carpet

Caucasian carpets are highly influenced by rural designs. These carpets are made of materials from specific tribal provinces, usually displaying bold geometric patterns with primary colours. These carpets are specific to regions like Daghestan, Shirvan, Gendje, Kazakh and Quba.

1st View of the City of Benaras

Born 1775, James Moffat was a British engraver in India. He arrived in Calcutta in 1789 and trained as an engraver there. He was one of the many 18th century soldiers and travelers from Britain that began sketching detailed landscapes of the country.

The Twelve Caesars : Suetonius

De Vita Caesarum or the Twelve Caesars was originally written in 121 AD by Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus. More commonly known as Suetonius, he was the secretary to Hadrian the Emperor in the Roman Empire. He dedicated this book to his friend Gaius Septicius Clarus, a prefect of the Praetorian Guard in 119.

Orign of Black Hole of Calcutta

The Scots Magazine is one of the only copies of an 18th-century publication that contains a first-person account of the imprisonment of the British in the infamous Black Hole of Calcutta in Fort William.