India have produced many famous female painters who have contributed to the Modern Indian painting of India (1875-2000). Apart from being exceptional painters, many of them have been pioneers in the development of newer styles, choice of themes, mediums, etc. Many of them have even gone beyond and impacted the social structures existing during their era and become an inspiration for budding women artists.
This research is an attempt to study the life and thought provoking works of few such inspirational women painters of modern Indian art. I would try to critique their styles, choice of mediums & subjects, factors influencing their works, socio-economic-political background, etc. Also, I would try to map out the evolution of Indian Art over the years – witnessed through the works of these artists.
The study shall include the following five artists:
- Sunayani Devi (1875 – 1962)
- Amrita Sher-Gil (1913 – 1941)
- Anjolie Ela Menon (1940 - )
To have a better understanding of the artists and their contributions to Modern Indian Painting, given below are brief introductions about the artists:
Sunayani Devi
Sunayani Devi was a pioneering artist who is regarded as amongst the first recognized women artists in the Modern Indian Painting era. She was born in the famous Tagore family in 1875.
Her uncle, Rabindranath Tagore was the first Asian poet to be awarded Nobel Prize for Literature. Her brothers, Abanindranath Tagore and Gaganendranath Tagore were both prominent artists and founders of Bengal School of Art. They were highly educated and attended the prestigious Calcutta School of Art.
However, Sunayani Devi wasn’t as blessed as her brothers. The society and the social structure in India in the 19th and 20th century did not allow women to rub shoulders with men to an extent that she had no formal education.
Refusing to be overshadowed by her brothers & supported by her husband, Sunayani Devi took up Painting and pursue her dreams. In fact, she took up the brush only at the age of 30.
From that point, she not only established herself as a painter but also came to be regarded as a pioneer woman artist who was instrumental in the growth & development of Bengal School of Art in early 20th Century.
Amrita Sher-Gil
Amrita Sher-Gil was born in 1913 in Hungary. She was one of the eminent artists of India, sometimes referred to as India’s Frida Kahlo.She is considered as one of the nation’s most celebrated Indian female artists. She studied painting from Ecole NationaleSuperieure des Beaux Arts,Paris and returned to India in 1934 and died in 1941. She was always receptive to all kinds of influences which interested her and she drew inspiration from Ajanta, Kushna sculptures, Basohli miniature paintings, etc.She assimilated certain principles of modern French painting as an aid to her own individual methods of expression.
Anjolie Ela Menon
Anjolie Ela Menon was born in 1940 in Burnpur,West Bengal.He studied at Sir J J Schoolof Art, Mumbai.She is one of the famous Indian painter and muralist best known for her religious-themed works, portraits, and nudes that incorporated a vibrant colour palette.Her works are rendered in a variety of styles ranging from cubism to techniques that reminds the European Renaissance artists.
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