The Artistic Apostles: Revisiting The Old Masters of Modern Indian Art

Art has always been a very prominent aspect in the Indian history with many transformations over time, here are a few Indian artists that have made history.

The story of Indian Art has been an incredibly rich and complex journey. While finely entwined with the history of our culture, Indian Art evolved like a meandering river charting its course. Tracing back to the Indus Valley Civilisation and early petroglyphs, art in the Indian subcontinent constantly transcended and transformed with time.

A monumental shift was witnessed in this trajectory during the latter half of the 19th century. As the British monarchy was firmly established, art was adapted to their tastes, which led to the emergence of Company Style paintings. Characterised by the linear perspective and shading, these works were created by Indian artists for the British people living in the country at the time. Eventually, this cultural and artistic hegemony seeped into native society and led to the emergence of several extraordinarily talented artists. Meanwhile, the dominance of western artistic traditions was further solidified by the establishment of the Sir J J School of Art. Here are some old masters who set Indian art on a path of greatness.

Raja Ravi Varma