The Art of Independence

Celebration of the 75th year of Independence is a unique moment for many of us in the country today, as we were not around in 1947 to taste the euphoria, the first flush of freedom. Young Indians - the millennials and the generations thereafter - were not around even when the country celebrated the golden jubilee in 1997. This vital landmark, therefore, gives a unique opportunity to millions of Indians to simulate the excitement that the lucky ones of yore experienced seven-and-a-half decades ago.

When we talk of Independence, the general conversation often ends with a discussion on the political, social and economic liberation that the country achieved with the end of colonial rule in 1947. The popular narrative too revolves around these tropes, which gets reflected amply in cinema, literature, etc. Very little of the significance of 1947 on walks of life other than politics, society and economics, is discussed or represented except within the niche segments. For instance, hardly anything is known to the citizens in general about the impact Independence had on the contemporary art of the country.

Freedom from Colonial Art

Many readers would be surprised to learn that with 1947, the contemporary art of the country found a new direction, just like the country itself found new direction to walk independently. Just as the decades before 1947 were marked by a gradual national and political awakening in the country leading to final push against colonial rule, the art of the country too was gradually moving towards unshackling itself from colonial dominance and seeking an authentic Indian identity.

With the tightening hold of British colonialism in India, art education in the country too came to be imparted with British perspective with hardly any acknowledgment of the massively rich artistic and cultural traditions of the native land. The imperial government established arts colleges in the presidencies, which not only followed British curriculum but also favoured British techniques and stylisation, ending up creating clones of European artists amongst Indians, mostly geared towards furthering colonial needs.

The oldest art school of India, Sir JJ School of Art, was established in March 1857. Though it was set up by the funds provided by an Indian philanthropist, Sir Jamsetjee Jeejebhoy, it was managed and headed by representatives of the imperial government. The government eventually took over its management in 1866, rendering it a completely colonial institution.

Students at Sir JJ were primarily trained in academic realism, a European import, and were encouraged to aspire to European ideals of aestheticism.

Things started changing, however, with increasing national consciousness and rallying political movements against colonialism towards the turn of the century. By the early decades of the 20th century, the dichotomy of us v/s them (British v/s Indians) was deeply set in public psyche, with the possibility of freedom from colonial rule becoming increasingly real.

Abanindranath Tagore (1871-1951) in Calcutta was the first to openly infract against British academic realism. The beginning of his career coincided with the emergence of Swadeshi movement in the country, and with generous support from E. B. Havell, an influential arts administrator and superintendent of the Government School of Art, Calcutta, he pioneered what came to be known as the Bengal School. It wasn't a physical school but a movement that called for looking to rich ancient Indian artistic traditions to forge a language for contemporary art. The murals of Ajanta, and Mughal and Rajput miniatures were the prime source of inspiration for proponents of the Bengal School. The sentiment segued in with rising Asian consciousness, as a result of which several collaborations with the Japanese artists were effected.

With the establishment of the Viswa-Bharati University in Santiniketan by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, the Indian-ness in Indian art received a tremendous boost, especially after he established the university's art department Kala Bhavana in 1919 and invited Nandalal Bose to head it.

With rapidly changing political scenario in the country from 1930s onwards, the tenets of Bengal School were soon beginning to be rejected by younger artists, who felt that finding solace in the past was not an ideal way to repudiate colonialism, but to hammer out a new identity for a new, future India.

This great churn vivified the art fraternity and soon, young Indian artists - in groups or solo - were trying various experiments towards an Indian idiom in art. Prominent solo pathfinders in this era were Amrita Sher-Gil (1913-41), Jamini Roy (1887-1972) and Nandalal Bose (1882-1966), to name only a few. These were followed by newer, bolder experiments by their successors too numerous to name here. Prominent groups that were formed as a part of the ongoing enthusiasm to create an authentic Indian art vocabulary included the Contemporary Painters of Bombay (1941); the Calcutta Group (1943); the Progressive Painters Association in Madras founded by KCS Paniker (1944), and the most well-known, the Progressive Artists' Group, founded in Bombay by F. N. Souza (1947).

Freedom's Children

The year 1947 proved to be an inflection point not just for the nation in general but for the arts too. The proof lies not only in the immediate success that the art of these progenitors achieved but also in the success that it continues to achieve, long after they have gone. Of all the forebears of modern Indian art mentioned above (including those not mentioned for want of space), the Progressive Artists' Group has proved to be the most successful. Initiated by F. N. Souza, its founding members included MF Husain, SH Raza, HA Gade, SK Bakre and KH Ara. Others who subsequently became members, or associates of this group included Ram Kumar, Krishen Khanna, Tyeb Mehta, and VS Gaitonde to name some.

As is evident from the list above, these are the who's who of Indian art today, the top sellers at all auctions, the holders of all the records for Indian art market.

The Progressive Artists' Group disbanded eventually, as did the other groups that had formed, but between them (the Progressives and the others), they continue to form the cream of Indian modern art. The reasons are not too far to seek.

All these artists, in attempting to construct a totally Indian idiom for modern art, unblemished by any external influence, turned inwards to the country's rich artistic heritage, and deftly married it with modernist trends prevalent at the time. The result was a uniquely Indian art that had a global appeal; it also infused the artists and their Indian admirers with a sense of pride for having created something unique - a massive sentiment to gloat on at a time when the country had only recently shaken off the colonial yoke after a long, long struggle. To quote Souza, 'We were bold and full of fire. We were forging a modern Indian art with a blast!'

The reverberations of that blast continue to be heard at the auctions today - the top 10 and even top 20 works of Indian art by prices continue to belong to these adventurer-pioneers. Take a look at the following list:

1. The most expensive Indian work ever sold is a 1969 'Untitled' work by VS Gaitonde that fetched Rs 42 crore at a Pundole auction in Mumbai on 24 February this year.

2. The second most expensive work of art by an Indian is 'Untitled (Bull on Rickshaw)' by Tyeb Mehta that fetched Rs 41.97 crore at a Saffronart auction in Mumbai on 6 April this year.

3. Another of Gaitonde's work, 'Untitled' (1961), sold for Rs 39.98 crore at a Saffronart auction in Mumbai in March 2021.

4. Amrita Sher-Gil's oil on canvas, 'In The Ladies' Enclosure', sold for Rs 37.8 crore at a Saffronart auction in July 2021.

5. Another of Gaitonde's 1974 oil on canvas sold for Rs 36.8 crore at a Pundole's auction in September 2020.

Though VS Gaitonde (1924-2001) is clearly the most sought-after Indian artist, the rest of the top 20 list is peopled by names that belong to the artists who came into their youth and their careers at the time of India's independence.

India's struggle for freedom will always remain unique for the far-reaching impact it had on all walks of life. And the country's art market continues to celebrate that spirit.

(The writer is a New Delhi-based journalist, editor and arts consultant. She blogs at www.archanakhareghose.com)