One such exhibition, which showcases some imposing sculptures that bring the spectator face-to-face with history, is going on at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) in Delhi. Itihaas comprises works of art by 22 sculptors from the NGMA collection. The exhibition, which opened on 29 March and will go on till the end of May, marks the day of founding of the gallery 63 years ago. On 29 March 1954, the government-run museum came into being and showcased the same sculpture show with 31 artists, as opposed to 22 sculptors participating now. The exhibition also has on view 51 paintings and drawings — by the same sculptors whose works are present here.
The 65 sculptures here are in bronze, terracotta, wood, ceramic and stone by artists such as Uma Siddhanta, Ramkinkar Baij, Sankho Choudhari, and Amarnath Sehgal among others.
The sculptures reflect the theme of the nationalist movement and bring to the forefront the various factors associated with that era. Triumph of Labour, by Devi Prasad Roy Choudhury, displays the fervour and strength of labourers. Represented here are four labourers working hard to move a rock. Even a cursory glance at the piece signals at the effort and strength of the labourers. The flexed muscles and aggrieved facial expressions elaborate this effect. In 1954, this sculpture had won the first prize at the exhibition. Two other sculptures by Choudhury, named Head Study and When Winter Comes, were also awarded the fourth and fifth prize respectively.
The 1954 exhibition was inaugurated by the then Vice-President of India Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, along with politician and scholar Humayun Kabir. At the event, Radhakrishnan had said, “Great works of art were created only in such periods when people were moved by deep faith.” He was referring to faith in the service of man. At the same event, Kabir had said, “Delhi could not establish its claim as a metropolitan city till it had national galleries of art, museums, theatre and libraries.”
Adwaita Gadnayak, Director General, NGMA, believes that this was the perfect timing to showcase Itihaas. He says, “We have a treasure trove of around 17,000 artworks in this gallery. When one walks in the storehouse they get a feeling of exhilaration and thrill. We wanted to showcase some of our collection and to unbox the sculptures on the foundation day — it was the timely thing to do. The 63rd foundation day could have been celebrated in any way but we wanted to display something which gives a sense of history and allow the visitors to a sort of time-travel six decades back. We zeroed on displaying the same pieces displayed here on 29 March 1954.”
The artworks at the present show are mounted on wooden boxes. Gadnayak talks about their representation. “The sculptures are kept in these boxes at the storehouse. We decided to mount the pieces on them because they are always with the sculptures literally — be it the storehouse or while travelling to other places for the show. And we asked art critic Uma Nair to curate the show.”
Nair gave the title Itihaas to the show. She says, “I told Gadnayak sir that ‘Itihaas’ is a self-explanatory word and won’t need further description. “
She adds, “Here sculptures, paintings and drawings, picked out of the treasure trove of six decades, encompass everyone, of whatever background or status. This NGMA collection distills the loftiest truths of India’s artistic forays into simple, modernist creations that enrich the mind and inform the affairs of art journeys. The auspicious demeanor and distinguished provenance of 22 sculptors offer aesthetic and historical satisfactions in this modern millennium. These works seem to express the revelation that we are our architects of imagination — and that through art, liberated from the constraints of conventional academism, we can discover new possibilities of both mind and spirit.”
In this exhibition, one can experience the genius of Prodosh Dasgupta. Dasgupta was a student of Devi Prasad Roy Choudhury and has also served as the director of the NGMA from 1958 to 1970. He is the father of the late photographer Prabbudha Dasgupta.
Nair thinks that Prodosh Dasgupta went forward in time and gave us works which were not typically academic. “Dasgupta was inspired by Auguste Rodin, Henry Moore and Constantin Brâncuși. His works are very avant-garde. The Egg Bride displayed here by him is my favourite. You see a clear ghoongat and also the sittting style is Indian. The overall treatment of this bronze piece renders a certain European twist to it,” says Nair.
Visitors at the show can also view 12 sculptures by Ramkinkar Baij. The two Rabindranath Tagore sculptures by Baij present an interesting glimpse into the artist’s ability and thought. Of the two Tagore sculptures displayed here, one is a cement bust and another an abstract bronze. Nair says, “Baij never cared about expensive material and simply used cement for Tagore’s sculpture. He used to teach at Santiniketan and had a lot of reverence for Tagore. He gives us a Tagore that is old and seems to be burdened. In the abstract version in bronze it looks like the artist has taken apart the facial parts of Tagore and put it back together. The overall rendition here is very Picasso-esque and Baij never went out.”