A new exhibition features master painters who humanised deities

At DAG’s Janpath gallery in Delhi, one can see an array of masterpieces—created between 1797 and 2003—on display as part of the third edition of the Iconic Masterpieces Of Indian Modern Art series. Coming close on the heels of its first two editions—held in April 2022 and February 2023—the ongoing series, showcasing 34 works by as many artists, spans two centuries and focuses on pivotal points in the practice of masters such as Thomas Daniell, Sita Ram, Marius Bauer, Raja Ravi Varma, Nirode Mazumdar, Shanti Dave and J. Swaminathan, Satish Gujral. “The story of Keechaka and Sairandhari from the Mahabharata had, in particular, become a trope for colonial oppression and exploitation and was hugely popular among the masses,” writes Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, managing trustee and director, Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Mumbai, in an essay in the book that accompanies the exhibition. The fruits, including mangoes and custard apples, are carefully expressed, as is the delicate jali work that is a famous element of Gujarat’s Sultanate architecture…,” writes Zakaria Mehta. “The interesting thing is that the painting was commissioned for a modern palace built in the Art Deco style in Chotta Udaipur reflecting, already, a yearning for the past.” One can see such unique depictions of scenes from Indian mythology throughout the exhibition, which is on view till 16 December.