“Art is a lie that makes us realise the truth”.- Anonymous
Art is a language through which people can communicate even without speaking a word. Throughout the years, many people have spoken their hearts out via their colours and brushes. And we call such people “artists”.
We have heard about or read about many artists who gave many masterpieces, but most of those we know are from artists who are not Indian. So, this article is to introduce you to some of the most famous Indian paintings made by the greatest artists in our country.
1. MF Husain- Five Horses
"Five Horses" by M.F Husain is his very renowned Artwork. The image of the horse has always remained a decisive motif in M.F. Husain's expansive oeuvre. In Indian folklore, the horse is revered as a mark of the sun, power, knowledge and fertility. Similarly, Husain's horses are always illustrated as strong and free-willed creatures, meritorious of all their mythical and ritualistic symbolism.
MF Husain was predominantly known for executing bold, vibrantly coloured description paintings in a modified Cubist style. M.F. Husain is associated with Indian modernism in the 1940s. His early association with the Bombay Progressive Artists' Group used contemporary strategies and was illuminated by the "new India” after the partition of 1947.
2. Raja Ravi Varma- Shakuntala
"Shakuntala" is among the artworks that most Indians recognize. It's one of the most popular works by Raja Ravi Varma. It's a modern tale of the Shakuntala looking for Dushyanta in the epic Mahabharata. As in the story, this painting represents Shakuntala dissembling to remove a thorn from her foot but she's looking yonder to see where her lover Dushyanta is.
Her friends are casually talking near her, and a mysterious hooded figure is walking with a cane in the background. There is a harmonious beauty and sensuality in the way Shakuntala is posed in this painting, which perfectly corresponds to the joyous and colourful atmosphere of the overall picture.
Raja Ravi Varma has been considered one of the greatest painters in the history of Indian art. Many of his artworks have been applauded by people most of which are related to the Hindu religion and mythology.
3. Abanindranath Tagore- Bharat Mata
Tagore’s Bharat Mata’s painting was a very spiritual and patriotic representation of our nation. Made in 1905, when nationalism was at its peak in India, Bharat Mata is still considered one of the best works by Abanindranath Tagore.
The painting represents the nation as a goddess, that’s why we say, “Bharat Mata”. In the painting, Bharat Mata has been shown as a woman wearing saffron carrying four different things in four hands. The four objects are “Vedas”, “Rice Paddy”, “Rudraksha”, and “White cloth”.
Abanindranath Tagore was one of the most prominent artists in India. His idea of modernizing Mughal and Rajput paintings eventually gave rise to modern Indian painting, which took birth at his Bengal school of art. Abanindranath is also regarded as a proficient and accomplished writer. Most of his literary works were meant for children.
4. Jamini Roy- Three Pujarins
From the 1920s, Jamini Roy abandoned the European oil medium and began to use conventional pigments from vegetable and mineral sources. The imagery was often drawn from village life. Jamini Roy described in his paintings what Indian village life has sacred with consideration of folk tales and narratives that pervaded the rural consciousness.
In this precise painting, one of his most iconic, “Three Pujarins”, the three women represented as they worship, have been painted with thick, black contour lines with the application of the blue colour of the drape done flatly. The inscription says signed 'Jamini Roy' in Bengali at the bottom-right corner of the painting with a brush in red colour.
Roy had Bengali folk traditions in his art style. He has often been described as an “Art Machine” since he made twenty thousand paintings in his lifetime and each one of them had the same artistic aims. His underlying quest was threefold: to capture the spirit of simplicity illustrated in the life of the folk people; to make art available to a wider section of people; and to give Indian art its own essence.
With this, we complete four of the many masterpieces Indian artists have made throughout the years. India is a nation with a rich heritage and culture. Hence every painter in India reflected Indian tradition through their art be it the traditional style of painting or the modern and western styles.
Written by: Nidhi Jha
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