Bagyi Aung Soe, “Painting of the New Era: Amrita Sher-Gil”, in From Tradition to Modernity, Yangon: Khin May Si Sapay, 1978, 86-94.1
86 The Art of Amrita Sher-Gil At the beginning of the Christian era, Indo-Greek nations were in Gandhara in the northwest of India. The Indo-Greek princes, rulers of those nations, once believed in Buddhism. With the help of Greek and Indo-Greek technicians, they made many stone and concrete [sic] sculptures of the Buddha and the events of his life. They were legendary sculptors in the history of art because of their distinct and influential Greek style. Until the last 50 years, that Greek art was… 87 … considered unparalleled. There was no beauty like their aesthetic appeal. But criteria always shifts. Indian art was also widely and thoughtfully critiqued. It was discovered that the Buddha images in Gandhara in India were inspired by the Greek sculptures of Apollo. The eyes and irises of the images have the characteristics of mixed race. In comparison with the purely Indian works from the Gupta period and beyond, those images seem quite different. As Hellenistic art (Greek art) and that of India are different in their basic concepts, we cannot expect them to merge seamlessly. The movement of populations began 2000 years ago and can still be seen today. After the British colonised India, schools of Western art opened. Then concepts and styles of Western art were imposed onto Indian art and sculpture. Indian art practices were suppressed in the 19th century, but no other strong and powerful new art form has emerged. 88 In that situation, the renovation of Indian art based on the ancient art of India was initiated in Bengal thanks to Abanindranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose, Gaganendranath Tagore, Bingatappa Ginma [?], Niroy [?] and others who led that movement, etc. Traditional art regained its former glory because of them, but later artists could not keep up with the momentum of these great men, and it went into decline. One artist who demonstrated the importance of integrating traditional ideas into modern works is Miss Amrita Sher-Gil. Her works were a signal and reminder to create more distinct 1
This translation only conveys the gist of the article, not all the nuances. The Burmese term meaning “painting of the new era” [art; Burmese: eခတ$သစ$ ပန္းခ်ီ] is generally understood as “modern painting” and “modern art” in Myanmar. Bagyi Aung Soe, “Painting of the New Era: Amrita Sher-Gil”, in From Tradition to Modernity, Yangon: Khin May Si Sapay, 1978, 86-94.
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works. New Indian art could not be created by replicating Ajanta or Rajput paintings. Moreover, it should not only be about the incorporation of Persian or Japan style. Her works showed that it was not enough to just copy the old styles of ancient paintings. 89 The art of copying was assumed to be better here. Her creativity was based on getting to the very root of tradition – the works by both muralists and late miniaturists – and to utilise it in modern art. Those who understand Indian art will appreciate how widely it is integrated into her late works, both in terms of brushstroke and spirit. She was somewhat influenced by Gauguin. It is true, but what most people do not realise is that the concepts of the post-impressionist movement are the same as those found in old Indian and Asian art. It can be clearly seen how the post-impressionists borrowed from the East. 90 What irony, that the Indian artists of 2000 years ago did not realise how "modern" they would be one day! As such, if someone says what happened to Indian artists and the postimpressionists are not the same, it is nonsense as the speaker does not know the basics of post-impressionism and Indian art well. Miss Sher-Gil boldly captured the spirit of the Ajanta cave paintings, as can be clearly seen in her Bridegroom's Toilette and Hill Tribes Going to the Market. It is something that no other modern artist had dared to do. The large dimensions of her canvases exude not only a sense of vastness, as with murals, but also grace through the lines, as with the Ajanta paintings. The ignorant might insist that these paintings are nothing like the Ajanta ones, … 91 … but in that case, he is probably referring to the once-popular copies, which were created with inappropriate ardour by so-called modern artists who are now forgotten. She created a stronger and more powerful new concept by drawing on the design, composition and lines of old art. She immersed herself in old works and created something new with their essence. She did not only exclaim “beautiful” or “amazing” about them, but brought forth their qualities in the most suitable form of creation. It can be seen in another work of hers, The Storyteller, based on a Pahari painting. In terms of technique, it is not different from miniature painting, but its sense of poetry and use of colours are captured and presented on a large scale. 92
Bagyi Aung Soe, “Painting of the New Era: Amrita Sher-Gil”, in From Tradition to Modernity, Yangon: Khin May Si Sapay, 1978, 86-94.
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Therefore, her approach was not to interpret the old miniatures, but to attempt her own miniatures on vast surfaces charged with its spirit. One of her last works, Ganapuja, is honest, perfect and delightful. It is like the reformation of Jame Kapathondra’s [?] work in 1938. She used clear pristine colours that reflect the palette of Rajasthani and Gujarati miniatures. Some might be startled, if they expected cheap dry colours. But her colour combinations calm the viewers’ eyes. In fact, the soul of art is line, the value design and its essence colour. She is a pure traditionalist when it comes to colour. 93 It was centuries after Indian artists established this concept [of colour] that Gauguin and his friends became aware of it. It is apparent that she was also influenced by traditional sculpture. She always incorporated the essence of Indian sculpture into her works. Uniting painting and sculpture in this manner suggests a lot of motivation to preserve the traditional arts. Its integration echoes the power and beauty of Indian art’s designs and colours. One important principle of Indian art is the reduction of form to its most basic and graceful essence. When Cezanne from the West simplified form to its basic shapes, he was in fact perpetuating the Indian principle. It is after all … 94 … the most important aspect of Indian art. For Indian artists, art was not a mechanical recording of what was seen, but a matter of thought. By usual standards, Miss Sher-Gil's human forms are not beautiful, but the simplicity of their forms reflects the purity and force of the dreamy Buddha figures carved during the Gupta period; her ladies dream with their eyes wide open. I pay deep homage to this lady who has done so much as the artist leading the preservation of traditional arts in India – a project of great responsibility.
Translated by Pann Hmone Wai
Bagyi Aung Soe, “Painting of the New Era: Amrita Sher-Gil”, in From Tradition to Modernity, Yangon: Khin May Si Sapay, 1978, 86-94.
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