Magazine: Buying Guides, Research, and Videos

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 watercolor. One of the most popular Indian artists, he was inspired to be an artist after he saw Raja Ravi Varma’s works of art. He studied at Sir JJ School of Art in Bombay and was an expert in the 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 is a pioneering figure 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 the 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 colors. 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.

India’s Wildlife and Shikar Culture

India is a country that has had a rich history of hunting. With an abundance of animals and land, big game hunting was very popular and considered to be an elite sport.

An Account of East India Affairs

The London Chronicle, Vol II, No. 3346 from Tuesday, April 9 to Thursday, April 11, 1782, discusses the state of affairs in India as told by the East India Company at the House of Commons.

Henry Singleton's Art In India

Henry Singleton first rose to prominence as a contemporary history painter in a family that was known best for their miniature artworks. Born into an artistic family, Henry Singleton was raised by uncle William Singleton who painted portraits and miniatures. Although he dabbled in miniatures as well, his well-known works were portraits and historic paintings.

Rembrandt and his Mughal Art

Rembrandt Harmnenszoon van Rijn was a Dutch artist who became well known for his artworks that demonstrated realism with the use of light and shadow. Anyone who is interested in art history would know that Rembrandt was a great artist. Not only did he became well known in the Dutch Golden Age but he continues to well respected all over the world today.