PEAKLIFE

To commemorate its 20th anniversary, Bengaluru’s gallery g showcases ‘Revelation & Reverences: Glimpses of Indian Art 1850 – 1950’ – a three-month long exhibition which will have on display a collection of rare oil paintings, water colours, chromolithographs, litho stones, terracotta dolls and other rare artefacts charting the the evolution of India’s Art History from the mid-19th century to Independent India. The exhibition shall remain on display till 28th February, 2023.

Works from artists like Raja Ravi Varma and his contemporaries, works from Early and Dutch Bengal artists, chromolithographs by M.V. Dhurandhar, watercolours by J.B. Dikshit and C. Kondiah Raju, works by G.V. Venkatesh Rao, K. Kesavayya and others will be on display at this iconic exhibition.

Beginning with traditional Kalighat paintings, Early Bengal Paintings and chromolithographs from the Calcutta Art Studio, the exhibition journeys to Maharashtra where the works of important artists from the region are displayed. Similar subjects are explored by artists from different regions resulting in a unique representation of costume, jewellery and expression based on geographical boundaries, cultural milieu and social practices.

The art journey continues to the southern parts of the country with focus on Travancore, where Western Academic style art by Raja Ravi Varma, Sekhara Warrier and Cheduvaranga Naidoo gained popularity. Traditional arts from Thanjavur met the modern mechanics of printing presses and the coloured boxes of Sivakasi through the hands of artists like C.G. Ramanujam and C. Kondiah Raju. Closer to home G.V Venkatesh Rao popularised the gods with his lithographs of Rama and Krishna, while Mysore court painter K. Kesavayya immortalised people through his portraits.

Imagery moved on and faces that were once traditional adopted decisive European features. Images of Indian gods were being touched up and printed in England, Germany and Italy. Krishna danced with Gopis amidst Italian castles and Dattatreya donned a muscled physique and had Border Collies (an English breed of dog) alongside him in the imagery. Realism that began in the West and was introduced to India by Westerners had been mastered by Indian artists.

This electrifying and invigorating journey of the evolution of Indian art, from cave paintings done in natural colours to the world of oil paintings, portraits, prints, posters and calendars is all charted in this expansive and well documented exhibition titled ‘Revelation & Reverences’.

Most of the works on display in this show belong to the collection of Sandeep & Gitanjali Maini Foundation, while some works are on loan from important private collectors and collections from across India.

Date – 9th Dec 2022 to 28th Feb 2023

Time – 10 am to 7 pm, daily

Address – gallery g, 38 Maini Sadan, 7th Cross Lavelle Road, Shanthala Nagar, Ashok Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560001