The Triumph of Modernism: India's Artists and the Avant-Garde 1922-1947.

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Abstract

Partha Mitter's latest book focusing on Indian art between 1922 and 1947 fills an important lacuna in modern Indian art-historical studies by extending analysis beyond the pivotal moment of the formation of the anti-colonial Bengal School and its declaration of a national art. The study of pre-Independence Indian art has almost singularly revolved around the narrative of the swadeshi artists under the tutelage of the Tagores -- a story, though compelling in holding out the promise of a modern Indian art, in need of considerable revision. For starters, the influence of swadeshi artists and their brand of "idealism" was fairly short-lived and investigations of their aesthetic and cultural moorings beyond their nationalist politics have been rare. Moreover, one never could connect the dots between the swadeshi artists and the Bombay Progressives, the next major art movement that spoke for the nation. Finally, the narrative of the triumph of swadeshi idealism has failed to account for the continued life of British-inspired naturalism in both the preserve of modern art or within the wider visual culture.
Original languageAmerican English
JournalMárg: A Magazine of the Arts
Volume61
Issue number4
StatePublished - Jun 2010

EGS Disciplines

  • Asian Art and Architecture

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