Indian Art: Raja Ravi Verma to D.P. Roy Chowdhury
Rama Vanquishing the Pride of the Ocean (Raja Ravi Verma)
Title: Rama Vanquishing the Pride of the Ocean
Artist: Raja Ravi Verma
Medium: Oil on canvas
School: Modern School
Subject Matter: The theme is from Valmiki’s Ramayana, depicting Sri Rama vanquishing the ocean’s pride. Sri Rama, with his monkey army, prepares to go to Sri Lanka to rescue Sita from Ravana. The ocean blocks their path. Rama requests passage, but the ocean refuses. Angered, Rama threatens to dry up the sea.
This episode illustrates Rama’s anger at being thwarted in building a bridge to Lanka to retrieve Sita. Rama, enraged, picks up his bow, warning the sea-god he will destroy the sea unless Varuna allows the bridge to be built.
Mother and Child (Jamini Roy)
Title: Mother and Child
Artist: Jamini Roy
Medium: Watercolor on paper
School: Modern School
Jamini Roy (1887-1972) was born in Beliatore, West Bengal. Village life greatly influenced his artistic development. He attended the Calcutta Art School in 1903. From 1925, he painted in the style of the ‘Patuas’ of Kalighat. His paintings gained international recognition after exhibitions in London (1946) and New York (1953). ‘Mother and Child‘ is a famous painting immortalizing motherhood. It symbolizes calm and tranquility, reflecting Eastern philosophy. The painting evokes a sense of timelessness, with both mother and child finding fulfillment in each other. The artist uses basic line drawings, stripping away superfluous adornment to create a statuesque quality.
Mother Teresa (M.F. Hussain)
Title: Mother Teresa
Artist: M.F. Hussain
Medium: Oil on canvas
School: Modern School
M.F. Hussain (1915-2011) was born in Pandherpur, Madhya Pradesh. He briefly attended the J.J. School of Art in Bombay. He initially painted cinema posters for a living. His painting ‘Sunehare Sansar’ was exhibited by the Bombay Art Society in 1947, leading to international fame. Early in his career, he was influenced by the Basohli style, using bright, contrasting colors. His Ramayana and Mahabharata series are world-famous. His works often express violence, injustice, and dejection. In ‘Mother Teresa,’ he conveys love, hope, and pity. His series on the British regime expresses sarcastic knowledge.
Haldi Grinder (Amrita Sher-Gil)
Title: Haldi Grinder
Artist: Amrita Sher-Gil
Medium: Oil on canvas
School: Modern School
Artist: Amrita Sher-Gil (1913–1941). Amrita Sher-Gil painted this rural scene in 1940, focusing on the lives of women in India. Her use of bright, saturated pigments is notable. The painting portrays three women in yellow, white, and red saris, set against a natural background. A dark figure behind a tree adds depth. The bright colors against the blurred background emphasize the women. Sher-Gil’s simplified subject matter conveys the dignity and strength of ordinary women.
The Children (Somnath Hore)
Somnath Hore (1921-2006) was a self-trained artist. ‘The Children,’ an etching in black and white, symbolizes his protest against injustice towards the poor. They are the first to suffer in famines, riots, or wars. The composition expresses the artist’s anguish. It features five standing figures, victims of starvation, isolated without background. The etching depicts emaciated children with bloated stomachs, thin rib cages, large heads, and protruding eyes. Their mother stands behind them, protecting them.
The Devi (Jyoti Bhatt)
Jyoti Bhatt (born 1934) was born in Bhavnagar, Gujarat. ‘The Devi’ illustrates the concept of fertility and power worshiped as Shakti or Devi in the Tantrik cult. This power, Kundalini, resides in female forms. Through yoga and meditation, this power rises to the brain where Shiva resides. The union grants immense power. Jyoti Bhatt depicts Kundalini encircling female fertility. He places male power within the Kundalini in the heart. Shades of green adorn the pendants on Devi’s head. A Bindi decorates her forehead, and her large eyes resemble Durga images from Bengal.
Of Walls (Anupam Sud)
Anupam Sud (born 1944) was born in Hoshiyarpur, Punjab. ‘Of Walls’ is a lithograph mixing photographic images with drawn areas. It contrasts the unfeeling background with lively human forms. A young woman sits in traditional widow’s dress. A brick wall behind her shows faint images of lively activities, reminding viewers of her past. Her black face indicates her isolation. The legs lying before her possibly belong to her deceased husband, symbolizing her death to society.
Man, Women and Tree (K. Laxma Goud)
K. Laxma Goud (born 1940) is a graphic painter. ‘Man, Women and Tree’ shows a female figure centrally composed with trees on her left and a male figure on her right. The figures face each other, and the tree spirit smiles. The painter depicts an Indian version of Greek wood nymphs. It reflects Laxma Goud’s philosophy that man, women, trees, and animals are interconnected in nature.
Triumph of Labour (D.P. Roy Chowdhury)
Artist: D.P. Roy Chowdhury
Medium: Bronze and cement
School: Modern School
Devi Prasad Roychowdhury (1899-1955) was a multifaceted artist. ‘Triumph of Labour’ is an unparalleled sculpture. Four figures move a massive rock with wooden logs, showcasing anatomical studies of men engaged in a herculean task. The muscular laborers, scantily clad, strain under the sun. Their effort symbolizes the progress of man.