BOSTON, MA –Sixteen paintings by luminaries of modern Indian art will be featured in Bharat Ratna! Jewels of Modern Indian Art, on view at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), from November 14, 2009-August 22, 2010. These vibrant Bharat Ratna–literally «Jewels of India»–are drawn from the renowned collection of Mr. and Mrs. Rajiv Jahangir Chaudhri, who have assembled some of the finest examples of post-Independence Indian art. The exhibition represents the first time that a significant number of works from this collection will be displayed publicly. It is also the first exhibition of modern Indian art at the MFA. Hotel sponsorship provided by Taj Boston.
«The Chaudhris have collected some of the most outstanding examples of modernist and contemporary Indian art, which document the evolution of a vibrant and influential artistic period in India,» said Malcolm Rogers, Ann and Graham Gund Director of the MFA. «The MFA is grateful for the opportunity to display such exquisite treasures.»
Rajiv Chaudhri says, «I am a firm believer in the idea that the art of all ages and regions is the common heritage of mankind. Since Egyptian, Greek, and Chinese art are part of my heritage, it follows that I also believe that Indian art is, or should be, part of the heritage of America, Europe and other regions of the world. Bravo to the MFA for taking the leadership role in this area.»
Bharat Ratna! offers a visually exciting dialogue between the evolving modernism of western art and the deeply rooted traditions of India and the multiple different approaches that Indian artists took, in the aftermath of Independence, to define their own and «Indian» art. On view in the MFA’s Indian Paintings and Decorative Arts Gallery, the exhibition includes works by several of the leading members of the Progressive Artists’ Group of Bombay: Krishnaji Howlaji Ara (1914-85), Maqbool Fida Husain (b. 1915), Sayed Haider Raza (b. 1922), and Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002). Their paintings–often created with vivid hues and abstract imagery–reflect the unsettled period of artistic creation that occurred as India struggled to achieve independence from British colonial rule, the bloody Partition and the heady, idealistic period that followed, of fashioning a new India and new Indian art.
Reacting against the nationalist and conservative precepts of the Bengal School, the Progressives wove principles of western modernism into the rich fabric of Indian art, creating a unique avant-garde identity as seen in the golden-toned Ganesh Darwaza (1964) by M.F. Husain, also known as the «Picasso of India,» who captured the humanity, myths, legends, gods and goddesses of his distinctly Indian subjects. Equally vibrant is S.H. Raza’s Untitled (from the Rajasthan Series) (1975), which evokes the brilliant colors of Jain and Rajasthani miniatures in its spirited depiction of the Indian countryside. In contrast, F.N. Souza’s more contemplative painting, Man and Woman (1954), draws from his strict Catholic upbringing in the Portuguese colony of Goa. This haunting work offers a portrait of two saint-like figures pierced by the arrows of martyrdom. Meanwhile Ara’s painting, Bharata Natya shows the famous Indian temple dancer Ram Gopal in classical dance pose with a meticulous eye for the natural fluidity of the body, reminiscent of ancient Indian sculpture.
Although the Progressives flourished as a group only briefly, from 1947-56, other artists who joined later and became part of the circle are also represented in Bharat Ratna! by Vasudeo S. Gaitonde (1924-2001), Krishen Khanna, (b. 1925), Ram Kumar (b. 1924), Tyeb Mehta (1925-2009), and Akbar Padams
