Results for "progressive artists group"


Tales in Red Dust - The Artistic Genesis of Sunil Madhav Sen

Rarh Bengal, with its rugged red soil and undulating laterite terrain, was more than just a backdrop to Sunil Madhav Sen’s (1910-1979) early life - it was his first teacher, which left a long-lasting impression on Sunil Madhav Sen’s inner world. For Sunil Madhav Sen it was not merely something to look at, it was something he lived. From this soil, his earliest impressions of life and art took root and what he absorbed here would return again and again, in his works - not always as direct representations, but as feelings and texture.

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Tales in Red Dust - The Artistic Genesis of Sunil Madhav Sen

Bhanu Athaiya - pre-1953 Catalogue Raisonne

A rare catalogue raisonné of Bhanu Athaiya’s fine art and formative years at the J.J. School of Art—spotlighting the only woman in the Progressive Artists’ Group, who redefined her artistic journey through costume design and became India’s first Oscar winner.

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Bhanu Athaiya - pre-1953 Catalogue Raisonne

Rarh Bengal in Modern Hue: The Artistic Imprint of Sunil Madhav Sen

Sunil Madhav Sen (1910-1979) was a pioneering modernist painter from Bengal, known for blending together rural sensibilities with avant-garde techniques. He was born in Purulia, a region that lies within the Rarh Bengal, which is mainly known for its red soil, rich cultural heritage, folk tradition and art. Sunil Madhav Sen’s roots in this culturally vibrant and geographically unique land played a significant role in shaping his artistic sensibilities.

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Rarh Bengal in Modern Hue: The Artistic Imprint of Sunil Madhav Sen

Art and Dissent in the 1940s

The 1940s were a decade of political urgency and artistic transformation in India—especially in Bombay, where anti-colonial movements, Marxist cultural activism, and encounters with European émigrés sparked a radical new visual language. As the Quit India Movement mobilized students and artists alike, figures like P.C. Joshi and Mulk Raj Anand rallied for an art that was politically engaged and socially conscious. The Progressive Writers’ Association, the Calcutta Group, and the Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA) all shaped a cultural climate where art and resistance were deeply intertwined.

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Art and Dissent in the 1940s

F.N. Souza: A Timeline

This timeline traces the life and work of Francis Newton Souza (1924–2002), mapping the personal losses, political upheavals, and artistic milestones that shaped one of modern India’s most radical and uncompromising painters. Born in colonial Goa and raised between Bombay and Saligao, Souza’s early years were marked by rebellion—against convention, religious orthodoxy, and artistic mediocrity.

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F.N. Souza: A Timeline

F.N. Souza: A Continuum

Prinseps, in collaboration with Dhoomimal Gallery, presented F.N. Souza: A Continuum—a landmark exhibition marking the centenary year of Francis Newton Souza. Opening on March 25, 2025, in New Delhi, the exhibition invited viewers to look beyond the myth and into the inner world of one of India’s most influential modernists.

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F.N. Souza: A Continuum

The Reflection of Sunil Madhav's Artistic Vision

Various organizations have been working for the advancement of art. From the pages of history, we learn that the first such organization in Calcutta was founded in 1830, named the Brush Club. At that time Prince Dwarakanath Tagore was at the forefront among several Indian and British entrepreneurs. Its lifespan was short. Over time, many organizations were established one after another, but with short lifespans. The Indian Society of Oriental Art founded in 1907, is the only one that remains active to this day. In recent time, one of the active institutions of this kind is Prinseps.

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The Reflection of Sunil Madhav's Artistic Vision

শিল্পী সুনীল মাধবের শিল্পচেতনার দর্পন

শিল্পকলার অগ্রগতিতে বিভিন্ন সংগঠন কাজ করে আসছে। ইতিহাসের পাতা থেকে জানা যায় কলকাতায় প্রথম এই ধরণের সংগঠনের জন্ম হয় ১৮৩০ সালে, যার নাম 'ব্রাশ ক্লাব' (Brush Club)। কয়েকজন ভারতীয় ও ব্রিটিশ উদ্যোক্তাদের মধ্যে মধ্যমনি ছিলেন প্রিন্স দ্বারকানাথ ঠাকুর। এর আয়ু ছিল স্বল্পকাল। এরপর কালে কালে এক এক করে অনেক সংগঠন প্রতিষ্ঠিত হয়েছে স্বল্পায়ু নিয়ে। একমাত্র ১৯০৭ সালে প্রতিষ্ঠিত ইন্ডিয়ান সোসাইটি অফ ওরিয়েন্টাল আর্ট (Indian Society of Oriental Art) এখনও সক্রিয়। সাম্প্রতিক কালে এই রকম কয়েকটি সক্রিয় প্রতিষ্ঠানের একটি হলো প্রিন্সেপস (Prinseps)।

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শিল্পী সুনীল মাধবের শিল্পচেতনার দর্পন

Jamini Roy's Influence: A Critique by Shahid Suhrawardy on the First Exhibition of the Calcutta Group

On 17th March 1945, Shahid Suhrawardy, the art critic for the esteemed daily The Statesman, wrote a critique on the first exhibition of the Calcutta Group - a collective of eight young artists whose motto was that “Art should be international and inter-dependent”.

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Jamini Roy's Influence: A Critique by Shahid Suhrawardy on the First Exhibition of the Calcutta Group

Celebrating Craftsmanship: The Shared Legacy of Bhanu Athaiya and J.J. School of Art

As we trace Bhanu Athaiya’s creative journey back to her roots in Kolhapur, we uncover a fascinating commonality between her, M.V. Dhurandhar, and John Lockwood Kipling. All three artists celebrated the essence of Indian life and craftsmanship, particularly through their depictions of fakirs and artisans.

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Celebrating Craftsmanship: The Shared Legacy of Bhanu Athaiya and J.J. School of Art

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