Style

Art and Design in the Life of Bhanu Athaiya: Realizing a Dream By Gayatri Sinha

As a girl born into the priestly class of pandits from the royal house of Kolhapur in 1929, Bhanumati Rajopadhye may have appeared as an unlikely instigator of dramatic change in the sphere of mass aesthetics. But it is no exaggeration to say that she led the nation’s gaze in the appreciation of feminine beauty, mined the country’s craft and couture traditions, and created waves in the worlds of fashion and consumer desire. One of the questions around Bhanu Athaiya’s vast oeuvre is how do we address her art in the context of her work in cinema and vice-versa.

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Uncle Husain by Anjum Siddiqui

I had the good fortune of spending a larger part of my life in close association with M. F. Husain. Or Uncle H, as I called him. He was more than just a friend of the family. He was part of the family. We all lived, painted, and went on vacations together. There were always the choicest of paints and canvases in the house while growing up, for which I am always thankful to him. I got to paint alongside him right from when I was 6 years old. As a child, he must have seen a unique creative spark in me. Or so he said to me in a note, written inside a book he sent me just a month before he passed away. 

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How to acquire antiques online

While the good old days of sauntering amidst quaint antique stores and art galleries might be on hold for now, the thrill of the hunt has now shifted online. And if done right, antique shopping can be rewarding – by uncovering an elaborate piece of history or acquiring artworks that speak to you. If the antique collector in you is tugging at your sleeve to bring home vintage furniture and rare collectibles, follow our lead.

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Antiques and their provenance

In the world of antiquing, provenance refers to the history of an acquired object. The provenance of a piece traces its origin back to its owner(s) or where it comes from. A certain artifact could belong to a previous era, like a glorious chandelier that once illuminated the ballroom of a magnificent palace. Or a scatter of old maps, manuscripts, and sheets quietly tucked away in between the pages of old books at a library.

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Art Deco elements for the contemporary home

The old school glamour of The Great Gatsby meets the 21st century home. The magic of the roaring '20s is very much in vogue today owing to the endless allure of Art Deco's luxurious and lavish style. Be it a wise old satinwood chest of drawers or a sturdy Rosewood cabinet that creaks with wisdom, each art deco element fits like a glove in the contemporary home.

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Art Deco

Art Deco is an opulent and alluring visual arts design style that unfolded in the 1920s in France. It burgeoned internationally in the early 1940s. This style still has a boundless influence on everything from architecture to sculpture, interiors to jewelry, furniture to car design. It is no doubt that Art Deco is a conspiracy between many styles and movements to please every connoisseur out there.

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