The National Gallery of Modern Art in collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, presents “Indian Life and Landscape by Western Artists”, an exhibition of more than ninety paintings and drawings from the V&A 1790 – 1927, at National Gallery of Modern Art, Jaipur House, New Delhi from October 27, 2009 to December 6, 2009.

The exhibition is a collection from London’s Victoria and Albert Museum which shows rare and interesting watercolors, sketches, aquatints, lithographs and engravings by European artists who visited India between the 18th- and 20th-centuries.

Says Prof Rajeev Lochan, Director, NGMA: “The first visual representations of India by western artists were of imaginary landscapes and settings. They were based on the written accounts of travelers to India from across Europe. It was only after professional European artists began to travel to India that they painted, for the first time, scenes based on direct observation. Their passionate interest in this new and exciting land led to the creation of a comprehensive pictorial record of India, in a visual style familiar to western audiences.”

India’s spectacular architecture, the immense natural beauty of her landscapes, and the great diversity of her people have inspired many artists world over. The exhibition is divided into four sections showcasing the works of various schools of art. The exhibit begins with a ‘Picturesque’ tour of India through dramatic pictures of splendid forts, temples, and palaces. The second section showcases works by amateur artists who were captivated by the landscape and architecture of India. Many of these amateurs were East India Company employees, who transferred to canvas their personal experiences. The third section is dedicated to the Romanticism of Indian art that depicts striking, decorative paintings entirely from the imagination. For instance, on view is a panoramic view of the Taj Mahal, paintings of busy street scenes, majestic princes, and doe-eyed nautch girls. The fourth section, based on realism, documents the social life and people engaged in various professions during that time

The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) is the leading Indian art gallery. The main museum at New Delhi was established on March 29, 1954 by the Government of India, with subsequent branches at Mumbai and Bangalore. Its collection of more than 14,000 works includes artists such as Thomas Daniell, Raja Ravi Verma, Abanindranath Tagore, Rabindranath Tagore, Gaganendranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose, Jamini Roy, Amrita Sher-Gil as well as foreign artists, apart from sculptures by various artists. Some of the oldest works preserved here date back to 1857.[1]

Situated at the end of Rajpath, facing the India Gate, the building was a former residential palace of the Maharaja of Jaipur, hence known as “Jaipur House”. It was designed by Sir Arthur Bloomfield, after the construction of Lutyens’ Delhi, in 1936.

Though the idea of the National Gallery was floated in 1949, it was formally inaugurated by Vice-president Dr S.Radhakrishnan in 1954, in the presence of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Hermann Goetz (1898–1976),[2] a noted German art historian became its first curator and in time it added new facilities such as Art restoration services, a Art reference Library and a Documentation Centre.[3] Then in 2009, a new wing of the National Gallery of Modern Art was inaugurated adding almost six times the space to the existing gallery, plus it has a new auditorium, a preview theatre, conservation laboratory, library and academic section as well as a cafeteria and museum shop.[1][4]

The first-ever exhibition of Anish Kapoor in India was held at the NGMA, New Delhi from November 2010 – February 2011, apart from being held at the Mehboob Studios, Mumbai from November 2010 – January 2011.[5]
[edit] Mumbai
National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai

NGMA Mumbai was opened to the public in 1996. It hosts various exhibitions and art collections of famous artists, sculptors and civilisations. It is located near Regal Cinema in Colaba. Exhibits include:

A collection of Pablo Picasso’s works
Egyptian artefacts such as mummies, statues, etc.

Bibliography: Ella Datta, Treasures of National Gallery of Modern Art.ISBN 978-81-88204-30-4.MAPIN(Ahmedabad)
[edit] Bangalore

A building in Bangalore was being refurbished in 2006 to open as the third site of NGMA. This follows a prolonged period of development and controversy.[6]

In Bangalore , it is functional in Manickavelu mansion on Palace road, on a walkable distance from Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium.

At the moment NGMA houses approximately 500 exhibits that are spread across a corridor, tiny rooms and large spacious halls that span two floors. You need at least half a day to see the entire space. The exhibits have been displayed – classified into broad categories – according to different time periods, art schools and by artists. One can see paintings by Raja Ravi Verma, Jamini Roy, Amrita Sher-Gil, the Tagore brothers and Rabindranath Tagore and a large number of Modern and Contemporary artists.