INDIAN

ARTISTS
SUBMITTED TO: SUBMITTED BY:
ARTIST REETA MAURYA CHINMAYI PANDEY
B.ARCH. IIND YEAR.
ITMSATP, LKO.
 ABANINDRANATH TAGORE
Date of Birth: May 7, 1871
Place of Birth: Bengal, British India
Date of Death: August 7, 1951
Place of Death: Calcutta (now Kolkata), India
Profession: Painting, Writing
Spouse: Suhasini Devi
Father: Gunendranath Tagore
Siblings: Gaganendranath Tagore, Sunayani Devi
o AbanindrainathTagore, the nephew of Rabimdranath
Tagore, was born on August 1871.
o He was one of the most prominent artists of the Bengal school painting, along with being the first major
supporter of swadeshi values in the Indian art.
o Abanindra Nath is also regarded as a proficient and accomplished writer .
o The painter tried to modernize Mughal and Rajput traditions as an answer to the growing influence of
western art under the British Raj.
CHILDHOOD:-
o Abanindranath Tagore was born in the Jorasanko town of west Bengal. The younger brother of
Gaganendranath Tagore an eminent artist, Abanindranath was introduced to art in the 1880s.
o Since he grew up amidst the famous Tagore family, art and literature were always a part of his childhood
and he inevitably developed a liking towards them.
EDUCATION:-
o When he was studying at the Sanskrit College in Kolkata, he started learning the nuances of art.
o After his wedding in 1889, he left Sanskrit College, where he was studying for the past nine years, and
joined St. Xavier's College and studied English for one and a half years.
o He then enrolled at the famous Calcutta School of Art in the year 1890. There he was trained by European
artists, O. Ghilardi and Charles Palmer. While he learnt to master the usage of pastels from Ghilardi, he
acquired profound knowledge on oil painting from Charles.
o Around 1897, he learnt various techniques, including the techniques used in European paintings, from the
vice-principal of Government School of Art. It was then that he started to develop a special interest towards
watercolor and came under the influence of Mughal art.
EARLY LIFE:-
o He then started making some beautiful paintings based on the life of Lord Krishna, which reflected a strong
influence of Mughal style.
o When he had a few issues with the teaching style that was being used at the Calcutta School of Art, he met
E.B. Havell and explained him the importance of retaining Indian elements in Indian art. This paved the way
for a change in the method of teaching at the school. 
o Also, along with his brother Gaganendranath Tagore, he came up with the Indian Society of Oriental Art,
which focused on the importance of Indian style of art.
o Abanindranath had immense faith on the traditional Indian techniques that were used in the early Mughal and
Rajput paintings. He wanted to propagate this very technique and strived hard towards achieving his goal.
CAREER:-
o Though Abanindranath Tagore started painting at a young age, his career took shape in the late 1890s.
o Most of his works revolved around Hindu philosophy and other things Indian.
o In the year 1930, he came up with a series of paintings titled ‘Arabian Nights’. The paintings depicted
Calcutta’s emerging cosmopolitanism but used the stories from Arabian Nights as its trope. Even today, this
collection of paintings is considered as one of the finest achievements of Abanindranath Tagore.
HIS STYLE:-
o Abanindmath Tagore believed in the traditional Indian techniques of painting.
o He was very much influenced by the Mughal school of painting as well as Whistler's Aestheticism.
o In his later works, Tagore started integrating Chỉnese and Japanese calligraphy tradition into his style .
o The intention behind this move was to construct an amalgamation of the modern pan-Asian artistic tradition
and the common elements of Eastern artistic and spiritual culture.
o His works reflected his ideologies and since they were simple in nature, his paintings were a hit among Indian
art lovers.
 SOME OF ABANINDRANATH’S FAMOUS PAINTINGS:-
o Ganesh Janani – Painted in the year 1908, ‘Ganesh Janani’ depicts an image
of Lord Ganesh in his child form. The Lord is seen playing by hanging on to a
branch of a tree while his mother wears a concerned look on her face.

o Bharat Mata – This beautiful painting was completed in the year 1905. The
painting depicts Bharat Mata (Mother India). She is portrayed as having four
hands, carrying important elements in each of her hand. The painting reflects
Indian tradition, which features in most of his works.
o The Victory of Buddha – ‘The Victory of Buddha’ depicts
a portrait of Buddha after achieving enlightenment. It GANESH JANANI
also answers Buddha’s ultimate question pertaining to
the human sufferings.

o The Passing of Shah Jahan – This is a scene straight out of Mughal EmperorShah
Jahan’s final day. The picture depicts Shah Jahan in his death bed, trying to get a
final view of Taj Mahal, which would be his final resting place. 

THE VICTORY OF BUDDHA 

o Journey's End - Painted in the year 1913,
‘Journey's End’ depicts a tired looking
camel, which looks more relieved than
happy after coming to an end of its journey.

o Death: Abanindranath Tagore died on

August 7, 1951 at Calcutta (now
Kolkata), India
JOURNEY'S END THE PASSING OF SHAH JAHAN
 AMRITA SHER GILL
Date of Birth: January 30, 1913
Place of Birth: Budapest, Kingdom of Hungary
Date of Death: December 5, 1941
Place of Death: Lahore, British India
Profession: Painter
Periods: Modern art, Post-Impressionism
Education: Académie de la Grande Chaumière, École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts
Spouse: Victor Egan
Father: Umrao Singh Sher-Gil Majithia
Mother: Marie Antoniette Gottesmann
Sibling: Indira Sundaram

o Amrita Sher-Gil was born on 30th January, 1913 in Budapest, Hungary. Her father, Umrao Singh Sher-Gil
Majithia, was a Persian and Sanskrit scholar,
o She is also considered as a revolutionary woman artist and the originator of modern art in India.
o Amrita grew up with her younger sister Indira Sundaram and was very fond of her.
o She spent her initial childhood in the Dunaharaszti town of Hungary and developed an interest towards
painting at a very young age.
o By the time she was five, Amrita had started painting. In the year 1921, her family shifted from Hungary to
the beautiful hill station of Shimla, due to financial crisis.
o After landing in Shimla, the nine year old Amrita started learning piano and also acted in plays along with
her sister at the famous Gaiety Theatre.
o Though her artworks mainly depicted Western style and culture during the initial stages of her career, the
painter gradually began to rediscover herself by depicting Indian subjects using traditional methods.
o Apart from painting, she was also well-versed in playing piano and fond of reading.
o Throughout her career, she painted her friends, lovers and also made quite a few self-portraits, for which
she is often considered as a narcissistic by many. 
 EDUCATION:-
o Amrita started to learn the nuances of painting at the tender of eight.
o Initially, she trained under Major Whitmarsh and later under Beven Pateman.
o In 1923, when she was 10 years old, her mother Marie came across an Italian sculptor living in Shimla.
o When the sculptor moved back to Italy in 1924, Amrita and her mother followed suit.
o After reaching Italy, she joined Santa Annunziata, a famous art school in Florence.
o While at Santa Annunziata, Amrita was exposed to the works of Italian artists, which furthered her interest in
painting. After a few months of learning, she returned to India.

CAREER:-
o During the initial stages of her career, Amrita’s works deeply reflected her Western
influence and her technique was similar to the paintings that were practiced in the
Bohemian circles.
o While in Paris, she came up with a number of paintings depicting her own life in
Paris.
o She often used her friends as her subjects and also ended up with a series of self-
portraits. 
o Around this time, she created ‘Young Girls’, which gained wide recognition and
appreciation. YOUNG GIRL

THE REDISCOVERY:-
o Amrita Sher-Gil returned to India in the year 1934 and began her never-ending journey of trying to decode the
traditions of Indian art.
o She was influenced by the Mughal as well as the Ajanta paintings.
o In 1937, she began her journey to the southern parts India and was deeply moved by the plight of many
villagers and unprivileged people. This started reflecting in her works and eventually gave rise to paintings
such as ‘Brahmacharis’, ‘Bride's Toilet’ and ‘South Indian Villagers Going to Market’. 
o Her technique and style was now nowhere similar to the paintings that she came up with in Paris.
o She even wrote to one of her friends, saying that Europe belonged to the likes of Picasso and Matisse while
India belongs to her. 
 WORKS IN INDIA:-
o Her works in India, post her wedding, had a tremendous impact on Indian art in the following years.
o Many of her works were influenced by the works of Rabindranath Tagore and Abanindranath Tagore.
o Among her works during this phase of her life, the best ones were ‘Siesta’, ‘Village Scene’ and ‘In the Ladies'
Enclosure’, all of which represented the poor state of the unprivileged and women in the country.
o In 1941, she moved to Lahore (undivided India), where art was being appreciated at that time. There she
came up with marvelous paintings such as ‘The Bride’, ‘Tahitian’, ‘Red Brick House’ and ‘Hill Scene’.

ACHIEVEMENTS AND RECOGNITION;-

o Amrita Sher-Gil was one of the most impressive as well as the most gifted Indian artists of the pre-colonial
era.
o She was also the youngest as well as the only Asian artist to be elected as an Associate of the Grand Salon in
Paris.
o For her work ‘Young Girls’, she was awarded with a gold medal in Paris, which was considered as a prestigious
award there. 
o The works of Amrita Sher-Gil have been declared as National Art Treasures by the Government of India.
o Most of her paintings adorn the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi.
o In 2006, ‘Village Scene’ sold for a whopping 6.9 crore rupees in New Delhi. Back then, it was the highest
amount paid for any Indian painting in India.
AMRITA SHER GIL’S FAMOUS PAINTINGS:-

THE BRIDE’S TOILET THE RED BRICK HOUSE TIAHITIAN BRAHMACHARIS

 JAMINI ROY
Date of Birth: April 11, 1887
Place of Birth: April 24, 1972
Date of Death: Beliatore, West Bengal, India
Place of Death: Kolkata, India
Profession: Painting
Father: Ramataran Roy
Awards: Padma Bhushan (1954), Viceroy's gold medal (1934), Fellow of the
Lalit Kala Akademi (1955)

o Walk into an average middle-class art-loving household of West Bengal, and chances are that you might come
across a well-preserved portrait of Jamini Roy rather than a fancy looking artwork of one of India’s many modern
artists.
o The paintings had to be well-preserved, for Jamini Roy would not have sold his work, had he doubted his buyer’s
passion for art.
o His passion for simple Indian folk art was such that he did not care about selling his works for fancy prices and
only sold them for as little as 350 rupees. And he would buy back his works, should he find out that his paintings
are maintained poorly by the buyer.
o Influenced by the simplicity of Kalighat paintings (Indian folk art), Jamini Roy gave up on modern art and stuck to
his roots, winning millions of hearts in the process.
o In 1954, the Government of India honored him with Padma Bhushan for his contribution towards art.
o Jamini Roy was born in the year 1887 at Beliatore village in the Bankura district of West Bengal.
o Roy was born into an affluent family of land-owners. His father, Ramataran Roy, resigned from his government
services to pursue his interest in art.
o In the year 1903, when he was only 16 years old, Jamini Roy left his village and made it all the way to Calcutta
(now Kolkata) to enroll himself at the Government College of Art.
o He received education under Abanindranath Tagore, famous for his valuable contribution in the field of modern
art.
o Roy finished his education in 1908 and was given a Diploma in Fine Arts.
 CAREER:-
o Jamini Roy started off his career as a portrait painter but wasn’t entirely happy about being a portrait painter
who worked for commission.
o It was in the year 1925 that he heard his true calling outside the famous Kalighat temple in Calcutta.
o He knew that the Bengali folk art could be used as a stone to bring down not two but three birds –
-a way to simplify and portray the lives of common people;
-to make his art accessible to all;
-to bring back the glory of Indian art.
o From that moment onwards, his paintings started reflecting the Kalighat style of art.
o By the early 1930s, Jamini Roy became fully conversant with the lines of the Kalighat idiom and produced
more number of art works.
o In 1938, his art works became the first Indian paintings to be displayed at a British-ruled street in Calcutta.
o thought process began to bear fruit in the 1940s when his works were bought by average middle-class Indians.
o With the passage of time, his paintings were only reflecting the indigenous art of Kalighat painting, along with
the terracotta's of the Bishnupur temple.
o In the following years, his works were exhibited at prestigious shows in places like London and New York City.
o By now, Jamini Roy had accomplished what he had intended to do when he first switched over from the
Western classical styleto the folk art of Bengal.

HIS STYLE:-

o Jamini Roy’s paintings that belong to the early 1920’s reflect the influences of the Bengal School of art.
o Initially, he came up with some excellent paintings that marked his entry into the Post-Impressionist genre of
landscapes and portraits.
o Throughout his works, his brush strokes were largely bold and sweeping.
o Around mid-1930s, Jamini Roy started painting on materials like cloth, mats and even wood coated with lime.
o He also started experimenting with natural colors and pigments derived from mud, chalk powder and flowers
instead of European paints.
 JAMINI ROY’S FAMOUS PAINTINGS:-
o Ramayana – Art lovers and critics would unanimously agree that his 1946 masterpiece ‘Ramayana’ is his
magnum opus. Created using Kalighatpata style, this particular work of his is a series of paintings portrayed
across 17 canvases. Roy used vegetable colors and pigments derived from natural elements to narrate his
version of the great Indian epic. Sarada Charan Das, the successor of K.C. Das, bought the entire series, which
now adorns the walls of his residence ‘Rossogolla Bhavan.’ The residence boasts of the artist’s largest private
collection with 25 of his original paintings. Jamini Roy also came up with individual episodes of Ramayana,
some of which are now displayed in places like the National Art Gallery of India and the Victoria Memorial Hall.
o Bride and two Companions – Painted in the year 1952, this particular piece stands out for its majestic
indigo of Bengal. Critics described this painting as having a meaning and reason attached to every aspect of it.  
o Krishna and Balarama – Lord Krishna is depicted along with his brother Balarama in this painting. Roy had
used distinct earthy colors against a majestic red color backdrop. 
o Krishna and Radha Series – Roy created a series of paintings depicting the colorful life of Radha and
Krishna. He even painted the life of Krishna along with his other Gopis (girlfriends).

BRIDE AND TWO COMPANIONS KRISHNA AND BALARAMA  RAMAYANA KRISHNA AND RADHA
SERIES

o . Jamini Roy’s died on April 24, 1972, a few days after he celebrated his 85th birthday.
 M.F.
Full name: Maqbool Fida Husain
HUSSAIN
Born: 17 September 1915, Pandharpur
Father’s name: Fida hussain
Mother’s name: Zunaib bibi
Awards: Padma Shri, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, more
Movies: Gaja Gamini, Through the Eyes of a Painter, Meenaxi: A Tale of
Three Cities, Pehla Sitara
Died: 9 June 2011, Royal Brompton Hospital, London, United Kingdom
o MF Husain one of the India's most gifted artist , was an accomplished
painter mostly famous for his paintings on Indian women and also for his
habits of getting into controversies.
o This multi aspect artist has made significant contributions in other field is
also as a director ,photographer and member of Indian parliament etc.

o MF Hussain was born in Pandharpur, Madhya Pradesh on September 17, 1915.

o His mother died when he was three-year-old . His family moved to Indore where he did his primary education.
o His association with painting began at an early age - he learnt the art of calligraphy and practiced the “ KUFIC KHAT "(Kufic is
the oldest calligraphic form of the various Arabic scripts) with its geometric forms.
o He also learnt to write poetry
o At the age of 20, he moved to Mumbai determined to become an artist and joined Sir J.J. School of Arts for one year
o In 1937 he started his career painting cinema hoardings for a livelihood
o Initially, he had a tough time but as the earnings got better, he visited Surat, Vadodara and Ahmedabad to paint landscapes.
o Initially, he had a tough time but as the earnings got better, he visited Surat, Vadodara and Ahmedabad to paint landscapes.
o He also tried his luck in other jobs and the best paid job was at a toy factory e where he designed and built fretwork toys.
o In between, in the year 1941, Hussain got married to Fazila and they had two daughters - Raisa and Aqueela and also had three
sons- Mustafa a restauranteur, Shamshad and Owais , both as painters themselves.
o Hussain's painting " SUNEHRA SANSAR " at 1947 annual exhibition of the Bombay art Society won an award and marked his
entry as a known artist.
o In 1946, Francis Newton Souzah invited him to join Bombay Progressive Artists Group.
o He visited Delhi, where he encountered ancient Mathura sculpture and India's miniature paintings. This was a turning point of
his career as an artist as he assimilated ideas from Western and Indian art.
o In 1952, he conducted his first solo exhibition in Mumbai. In 1954 he was nominated as an eminent artist by the Lalit Kala
akademi , New Delhi and won the National award at the Lalit Kala Akademi's first national exhibition.
o M.F. Hussain participated in many international shows which included contemporary Indian art.
o The Venice biennales (1953 , 1955) Tokyo Biennale (1959 where he won the Iternationl Biennale Award and there he was
invited to exhibit alongside Pablo Picasso.
o His work was first shown in the USA at India House, New York, in 1964. He had also had exhibitions of photography and in 1984
in Hanover, he exhibited works on plexiglass
o Besides painting, Hussain had also made film " Through the Eyes of a Painter " in 1967 which went on to win the Golden Bear
Award Berlin Film Festival. He had made several short films since then

o On account of his immense contribution to Indian art, the Govemment of India honoured
him with :-
~ The Padmashree in 1966.
~ The Padma Bhushan Award in 1973 .
~ The Padma Vibhushan award in 1989.
~ all prestigious civilian awards.
o He was nominated to the upper house of the Indian Parliament, the ' Rajya Sabha 1987, and
during his six years term he produced the Sansad portfolio.
o Hussain made a series of painting on several subjects including the Bitish
Raj, on major cities such as "culcutta. Benares. Rome, Beijing, on the Epics
Mahabharata and Ramayana, a whole seies on Mother Teresa ,on the major
nine religions of the world a series on horses.A big mural of his, portrait of
20th century depicts all the major personalities of arts, science, dance,
literature, politics, etc.
o Hussain's most interesting paintings of the 90's is the series named after
Madhuri Dixit a well Known cine artist in Hindi cinema.
o He saw her film ' Hum Apke Hain Kaun ' 67 times and painted a whole series
of paintings on her and even directed her in a film " GAJA GAMINI "
o Hussain became the talk of the town for his open fascination with Madhuri
Dixit.
o Subsequently, he made another film" Meenaxi: " A Tale of Three Cities "
with Tabu, anothur cine artist. MEENAXI GAJA GAMINI

o Once Hussain was arrested and charged with hurting sentiments of people following his
controversial nude paintings of Hindu Gods and Goddesses.
o The court ordered that the artist should have freedom of expression but with a limit of un
hurting the Sentiments of the "people.
o International famed and highest paid painter in India. Described by Forbes magazine as " THE
PICASSO OF INDIA ".
o Hussain died on June 9, 2011 London, U.K.
o Husain’s legacy is being carried forward by his son Owais Husain, who is an eminent artist in his
own right.
o The autobiography of M.F. Hussain is being made into a movie, which has been tentatively
GODDESS LAKSHMI
titled as 'The Making of the Painter'. 
 NANDLAL BOSE
Date of Birth: December 3, 1882.
Place of Birth: Kharagpur, Munger, Bengal Presidency, British India.
Date of Death: April 16, 1966.
Place of Death: Calcutta, West Bengal, India.
Profession: Painting.
Spouse: Sudhira Devi.
Daughter: Gauri.
Father: Purnachandra Bose.
Mother: Kshetramonidevi.
Award: Padma Vibhushan (1954).
o Nandlal Bose was born on 3 December, 1882 in Bihar.
o One of the most prominent artist of the modern India.
o Nandalal’s contribution towards Indian art is immense, for which he was honored with Padma Vibhushan by the
Government of India. 
o Nandlal Bose was born into a middle class Bengali family to Kshetramonidevi and Purnachandra .
o His father worked as a manager under the Raja of Dharbhanga.
o His mother was a homemaker and was also an amateur craftswoman who made toys for her children.
o Nandlal grew up along with his four siblings –two sisters and two brothers.
o Being exposed to his mother’s craft skills and the works of other craftsmen like potters and idol makers around
his locality, a young Nandlal developed an interest towards modeling images.
o It is said that during his school days, he would make sketches of Indian gods and goddesses on his books instead
of taking down notes.
o Right from his childhood he showed little interest in his studies but his parents forced him to focus on his
education.
 EDUCATION:-
o At Presidency College, he secretly learnt various painting forms like still life, model painting and sauce
painting from Atul Mitra, his cousin.
o He even emulated some European paintings and came up with some of his own.
o He enrolled himself at the Calcutta School of Art between 1905 and 1910.
o Nandlal Bose was deeply influenced by the paintings of Abanindranath Tagore and wanted to learn the
nuances of painting from him.
o Nandlal, The young painter was initially guided by Harinarayan Basu and Iswari Prasad and later on by
Abanindranath Tagore himself.
o he remained under the tutelage of Abanindranath for the next five years. Eventually, Nandlal went on to
become one of Abanindranath’s favorite students.
CAREER:-
o The Indian Society of Oriental Art organized an art exhibition and Nandlal saw it as an opportunity to exhibit
his talent. In the exhibition, he showcased two of his works, namely ‘Siva and Sati’ and ‘Sati’. Impressed with
his talent
o the association gave him 500 rupees as cash prize, which he used for visiting different parts of India. During
his tour, he was inspired by the different landscapes and depicted them on his canvasses.
o In 1930, he created the portrait of Mahatma Gandhi, after being inspired by his protest against the imposition
of tax on salt by the British. The portrait went on to become a symbol of non-violence movement. 
o Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru asked him to design the emblems of prestigious government awards, such as
Bharat Ratna and Padma Shri.
o He created more than 7000 portrays during the course of his illustrious career.
o Today, the National Gallery of Modern Art in Delhi houses most of those paintings. He was also one of the
leading lights for the renaissance of art in India
o When Rabindranath Tagore founded the Kala Bhavan in Santiniketan, he invited Nandlal to join in. Nandlal
Bose served as the principal at Kala Bhavan, Santiniketan between 1922 and 1951.
o He also received an offer from the Government Art School to join in as one of the staff members. However, he
declined the same and instead, started helping Abanindranath in preparing a catalogue of his artworks in his
home.
o Nandlal Bose also received great moral support from Sister Nivedita. In fact, she was the one who encouraged
Nandlal to come up with paintings of Ajanta Frescoes, which went on to become one of his finest works.
 HIS STYLE:-
o his style of painting reflected the historic artistic tradition as well as the contemporary practices of Indian art
form. 
o Nandlal Bose exhibited his paintings for the first time in 1911.
o Thereafter, the works of Nandlal Bose were displayed at several national as well as international exhibitions.
SOME OF NANDLAL BOSE’S FAMOUS PAINTINGS:-

SATI DARJEELING AND FOG GANDHI MARCHI PARAMCHAINTANYA SHIVA

AWARDS:-
Nandlal Bose was honoured with many prestigious awards. Some of the awards bestowed upon him are mentioned below:
o Padma Vibhushan – In the year 1954, the Government of India honored him with the country’s second highest civilian
award.
o Fellow of the Lalit Kala Akademi – In 1956, India's National Academy of Art honored him by electing him as the
Fellow of the Lalit Kala Akademi. He was only the second artist to be honored by the National Academy of Art.
o Deshikottama – Vishvabharati University conferred the title ‘Deshikottama’ on him.
o Honorary D.Litt – The University of Calcutta honored him with the honorary D. Litt for his contribution towards the
field of art in the year 1957. 
o Silver Jubilee Medal - The Academy of Fine Arts honored him with this particular award.
o The Tagore Birth Centenary Medal - In 1965, the Asiatic Society of Bengal honored him with this prestigious award.

DEATH:- Nandlal Bose breathed his last on 16th April , 1966.

 S.H. RAZA
Full Name: Sayed Haider Raza
Date of Birth: February 22, 1922
Place of Birth: Babaria, Central Provinces, British India
Date of Death: July 23, 2016
Place of Death: New Delhi, India
Profession: Painter
Spouse: Janine Mongillat
Father: Sayed Mohammed Razi
Mother: Tahira Begum
Awards & Recognition: Padma Vibhushan, Fellowship of the Lalit Kala
Akademi, Commandeur de la Legion d'honneur
o One of the most distinguished artists of the Indian subcontinent, Sayed Haider Raza, simply known as S.H.
Raza, is famous for his usage of rich colors in all his portrays.
o S.H. Raza was born in 1922, in the present day state of Madhya Pradesh.
o He grew up with his four brothers and a sister. Raza developed liking towards painting at the tender age of 12.
o Understanding his love for arts, his parents allowed him to pursue his dream and even laid the foundation by
enrolling him at different Art Schools
o Though he settled down in France in the early 1950s, he continued to represent Indian art by incorporating
Indian philosophy and Indian cosmology in his works.
o Throughout his career, he had mainly used oil and acrylics for his paintings, which highlighted Indian
ethnography.
o He also incorporated the Indian concepts of space and time, which was a huge hit among French, Indian and
other art lovers worldwide.
o In 2010, a seminal work of his titled ‘Saurashtra’ was sold at a Christie's auction for an impressive (Rs. 16.42
crore), making him one of the priciest modern artists of India. For his immense contribution in the field of art,
S.H. Raza was honored with India’s second highest civilian award, Padma Vibhushan in the year 2013. 
 EDUCATION:-
o After spending most of his childhood in Babaria, Raza moved to Damoh at the age of 13 ,he completed his
formal school education there at a Government High School.
o He received his formal training in painting at the Nagpur School of Art (Nagpur).
o Thereafter, he learnt the nuances of oil painting at Sir J. J. School of Art, Bombay.
o During his stay at Sir J.J. School of Art, he co-founded the famous Bombay Progressive Artists’ Group, which
would later go on to become an influential set of modern artists.
o S.H. Raza experimented with the Western Modernism, which was moving away from expressionism and
towards abstraction.
o Thereafter, he moved to France in order to pursue his studies at the Ecole nationale superieure des Beaux-
Arts of Paris.
o He was awarded with a scholarship from the government of France, which encouraged him to pursue his
higher studies there in Paris.
CAREER:-
o Initially, Syed Haider Raza’s paintings mainly revolved around expressionistic landscapes.
o His very first show was held at Bombay Art Society, even before he moved to France.
o Though he finished his education in 1953, he chose to remain in Paris, as he thought that his works would
receive appreciation from the European art lovers. For this reason, he even travelled across most parts of
Europe.
o In 1962, he started serving as a visiting lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley, USA. There, he
influenced many American painters and taught them the nuances of incorporating interesting Indian elements
into modern art.
RETURN TO INDIA:-
o Seeking more inspiration and a whiff of fresh air, Raza returned to India in the 1970s, as he needed a new
direction, not only in his work but also in his personal life.
o He visited many parts of the country including the majestic caves of Ajanta and Ellora. He even visited places
like Gujarat, Rajasthan and Benaras.
o His search of something that would go on to play a major role in his works , finally came to an end after he
realized that the ‘Bindu’ (a dot) that plays a significant role in Hinduism, is the source of creation and
existence.
o In 2000, he started incorporating concepts like Kundalini energy and the Nagas in his works. He also focused
more on incorporating stories of Mahabharata into his art works and paintings.
 HIS STYLE OF PAINTING:-
o The paintings of S.H. Raza revolve mainly around nature and its various facets.
o Over the years, his paintings evolved from being purely expressionist landscapes to abstract ones.
o He believes the Bindu (dot) to be the center of creation and existence and his works reflect this particular
thinking.
o Even though the vibrancy of his paintings had become subtle later on in his career, the dynamism remained as
alive as ever.
ACHIEVEMENTS:-
o A painting by S.H. Raza was reportedly sold for US $1.4 million at an auction held in December 2006.
o In February 2007, his works were exhibited in The Arts Trust - Institute of Contemporary Indian Art (Mumbai).
Also, his works were displayed in a number of prestigious exhibitions all over India.
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS:-
o Padma Shree: S.H. Raza was awarded the prestigious Padma Shree, India’s fourth highest civilian honor, by
the Government of India in the year 1981. 
o Fellowship of the Lalit Kala Akademi: In the year 1981, he was honored with this prestigious fellowship by
the government of New Delhi. 
o Kalidas Samman: In 1992-93, the government of Madhya Pradesh awarded him the Kalidas Samman, which is
given every year for contribution towards arts.
o Silver Medal: In 1946, he won a silver medal for one of his displays at the prestigious Bombay Art Society.
o Gold Medal: Two years later, he went on to bag a gold medal at the same exhibition for one of his art works. 
o Lalit Kala Ratna Puraskar: In 2004, he was honored with this prestigious award by Lalit Kala Academy, New
Delhi.
o Doctor of Letters: The Indira Kala Sangit Vishwavidyalaya, Chhattisgarh honored him with D Litt in the year
2014.
o Commandeur de la Légiond’ Honneur: He was awarded the Legion of Honour by the government of France in
the year 2015, for his immense contribution to the field of arts in France.
o D Litt: He was once again honored with D Litt in 2015 by Shiv Nadar University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
o Padma Bhushan: In 2007, the government of India honored him with the prestigious Padma Bhushan, India’s
third highest civilian award.
o Padma Vibhushan: In 2013, he won the country’s second highest civilian award.
 SOME OF THE S.H. RAZA’S PAINTINGS:-

TRIBHUJ CITYSCAPE SHANTI BINDU

KASHMIR VALLEY SRINAGAR

DEATH:- On July 23, 2016 S. H. Raza breathed his last after battling for life at a local
hospital in New Delhi.
 SATISH GUJRAL
Date of Birth: December 25, 1925
Place of Birth: Jhelum, Punjab, British India
Professions: Painter, muralist, sculptor, architect, graphic designer,
writer 
Spouse: Kiran
Child: Mohit Gujral
Father: Avtar Narain Gujral
Mother: Pushpa Gujral
Sibling: Inder Kumar Gujral (former Prime Minister of India)
oAwards:  Padma
Satish Gujral wasVibhushan (1999),
born in the NDTVinIndian
year 1925 of the Year (2014).
the pre-partition Punjab, British India. He grew up along with his
elder brother Inder Kumar Gujral, who would later go on to become the Prime Minister of India.
o At the tender age of 10, he suffered an illness which fatally impaired his hearing. He developed an interest
towards painting and started portraying his own thoughts when he was only 14.
o The impact of partition on him was so strong that it would later form the basis of his art in the initial stages of
his career.
o Over the last six decades, Indian art and architecture has been greatly benefited, thanks to the fickle-minded
nature of Satish Gujral.
o Because of his ability to get bored of things easily, he kept changing his profession, but perfected each one of
them.
o At the end of it all, the man turned into one of the most brilliant multi-faceted personalities India has ever
seen
o Over the years, he has constantly changed his medium and materials in order to differentiate his art from that
of his previous creation.
o Known for creating some of the most exquisite paintings, murals and sculptures, Satish Gujral is one of the
greatest as well as the most versatile artists of India.
o He ventured into architecture,people criticized him for doing so since he was already successful as an artist,
India got one of the finest buildings of the 20th century – the Belgium Embassy, situated in New Delhi. 
 EDUCATION:-
o Satish joined the Mayo School of Arts in Lahore in the year 1939 in order to study applied arts.
o After graduating from the Mayo School of Arts, he moved to Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1944 and took admission
at the Sir JJ School of Art.
o During his stay at the college, which lasted from 1944 to 1947, he came into contact with the famous
Progressive Artists’ Group of Bombay.
o he found it difficult to agree with their techniques and started looking for modernism in art, with its roots
belonging to the Indian tradition.
o In 1947, a recurring sickness forced Satish to drop out of JJ School of Art and eventually completed his
education in the year 1949.
o He left for Mexico in the year 1952 after he was granted a scholarship from the Mexican embassy. He served
his apprenticeship under well-known artists Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros. 

CAREER:-
o In the initial stages of his career, his work was heavily influenced by the suffering of people who lost their
homes and families because of the partition of the country. Since he had witnessed the cruel act
o Later on, he realized that people would not appreciate the same kind of art over and over again and hence
started to change his style of work.
o Satish started diversifying his sculptural materials with machined industrialized objects made up of steel,
copper, glass, etc., and even gave life to sculptures by using junk materials. 
o The period of 1952 to 1974 saw Satish Gujral organizing solo shows all over the world.
o The shows featured his sculptures, paintings and graphics. The cities in which he organized his shows include
Mexico City, New York, New Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Montreal, Rome, Berlin, Tokyo, Buenos Aires and
Stockholm.
o the late 1980s, paintings and sculptures of Satish Gujral have shown a greater expansion, both in terms of
materials as well as content.
o He started making large murals, mostly in mosaic and ceramic tiles. Later, machined steel elements overtook
the tiles.
o Satish Gujral's sculptures, made out of burnt wood, come across as visceral exposure of human and other
forms.
SATISH GUJRAL’S STINT AS AN ARCHITECT:-
o In one of his interviews he has mentioned about him being bored with
art as he felt that he had done everything that he could do with art.
o In 1968, he ventured into architecture, and soon, he proved his critics
wrong when the Belgium diplomats approached him, requesting him to
come up with an edifice that would serve as their embassy in India.
o In 1984, he completed his project and took his critics by surprise, for the
building looked astonishing. So much so, that it was later termed as one
BELGIUM EMBASSY, NEW DELHI
of the finest buildings of the 20th century in a forum held by
international architects.
o He then went on to build magnificent edifices like the summer palace of
Saudi Arabia in Riyadh, CMC research center in Hyderabad and the Goa
University.
o The summer palace of Saudi Arabia was asked to build by the prince of
Saudi Arabia after he was highly impressed with the Belgium embassy.
o Though he had a rollicking start to his architectural career, Satish
shifted his focus back to painting as he got bored of architecture. 

STYLE:-
o No matter what the subject matter is, Satish Gujral creates his works after understanding their nuances and
the history behind them. This gives his works depth and sets them apart from the works of his
contemporaries.
o Like many great artists, Satish too, is a master of creating modern art without disturbing its tradition, for
there lingers the real beauty of any art. 

EXHIBITION AT THE INDIA ART FAIR:-

o In 2014, Satish Gujral decided to display some of his creations at the India Art Fair.
o The artworks displayed were from his personal collection, created between the 1950s up until 2013.
o A total of 26 paintings and sculptures were put up for sale, out of which five belonged to the famous partition-
inspired works. 
 AWARDS AND RECOGNITION:-
Satish Gujral has received the following awards in recognition of his vital contribution to the field of art:-
o NATIONAL AWARD FOR PAINTING - The National Award in the field of painting is considered as one of the
most prestigious awards. He has bagged this award twice in his illustrious career so far.
o NATIONAL AWARD FOR SCULPTURE - He managed to bag the National Award for sculpting as well.
o STATE HONOR - He was honored by the State Government of Punjab for his impeccable contribution towards
art and architecture.
o ORDER OF THE CROWN – The government of Belgium honored him with this prestigious award for his
contribution towards architecture.
o PADMA VIBHUSHAN – In the year 1999, the government of India honored him with the country’s second
highest civilian award.
o LEONARDO DA VINCI AWARD – This prestigious award was presented to him by the World Cultural Council for
his impressive contribution towards offering positive messages to the world through various expressions of art.
o INTERNATIONAL AWARD FOR LIFE TIME ACHIEVEMENT – The government of Mexico honored him with this
award.
o NDTV INDIAN OF THE YEAR – In 2014, he was selected as the Indian of the Year by NDTV, a national media.

o Several documentaries have been made on his life. He was part of the tele film ‘Partition: The Day India
Burned’, released by BBC. Based on his autobiography ‘A Brush with Life’, a wonderful documentary was made
and released on 15 February 2012. Apart from all these, his legacy will live on forever through his wonderful
creations.
SOME OF SATISH GUJRAL’S PAINTINGS AND SCULPTURES:-

PAINTINGS SCULPTURES

HIS DEATH:- Satish Gujral died on 26th, March, 2020 in Delhi.