Show on artist M.V. Dhurandhar to revive his legacy
Part of the retrospective exhibition "M. V. Dhurandhar: The Romantic Realist" the paintings and archives will throw light on the life and works of Dhurandhar (1867-1944).
An academic realist he has painted women profusely with his illustrations of Indian women featuring in author Otto Rothfeld s book "Women of India" (1920).
The master artist s works covered most genres of realistic art -- portraits landscapes episodes from history and mythology as well as mappings of social life rendered by way of oil paintings watercolours drawings sketches posters postcards book covers illustrations and oleographs.
His poster illustration for Woodward s Gripe Water for toddlers featuring young Krishna in fact is one of his most popular illustrations in public memory.
Just as the realism of the Kolhapur-born Dhurandhar and his contemporaries like Raja Ravi Varma was threatened by the fast-changing aesthetic his legacy was slowly "overtaken by the artists of the Progressive Artists Group" of Mumbai NGMA said in a statement.
"Even though several of his most popular paintings were rendered as lithographs and oleographs Dhurandhar s contribution to the Bombay School of Art has been forgotten and is in need of resurrection " it added.
According to NGMA on view will be a collated collection of Dhurandhar s paintings.
Most have been sourced from government museums in Kolhapur Aundh and Sangli the collection at Sir J. J. School of Art and Swaraj Art Archive among other private galleries.
Also exhibited as a visual resource is rare archival material including "his gold medals the sketchbooks that he sketched in book illustrations photographs and other ephemera".
This retrospective will go a long way in restoring his legacy NGMA said.
The month-long exhibition will open on September 10 for the public and conclude on October 13.
--IANS sj/anp/sed
