Modern Indian Painting

Modern Indian Painting presents a survey of Indian painting from the late 19th century to the present day, drawn from the private collection of Jane and Kito de Boer—remarkable for its broad historical scope and wide range of artists. The book clearly delineates major developments over a long period of time, while contextualising them with previously unpublished examples by major artists.

The first part of the book features the de Boers talking about their interest in India and Indian art. The second part presents a history of modern Indian painting, with essays on the Bengal school, the so-called ‘Dutch Bengal’ artists, the Calcutta naturalists, the portrait painters of the Bombay school in the early 20th century, the Progressive Artists Group and the post-Independence artists of Bengal. The de Boer collection also contains strong representations of a few individual artists, such as Chittaprosad Bhattacharya, Ganesh Pyne, A. Ramachandran and Rameshwar Broota, whose works are explored through essays and interviews.

The fact that many of these chapters draw almost exclusively on the de Boer collection is a testament to its incredible size and breadth. This volume hopes to show how the collection takes a dispassionate view of the global status of Indian art, while at the same time revealing a commitment and long-term engagement with the country and its creativity.