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I am a self-confessed art and history lover. I feel it is one of the most beautiful expressions of humans that manifests itself in art and art, in any form, is influenced by things that happen around in world. So, to satiate my urge to track history with art, I, along with my friends planned a visit National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) Delhi last week. NGMA, fine art gallery, is one of the biggest art galleries in the country and a home to vibrant contemporary art. It also regularly exhibits art exhibitions of leading artists from across the globe wherein people can buy art of famous global artists.

It was quarter to ten when we reached NGMA. As entry time inside the gallery house was 10’ clock, I utilized the 15 minutes in knowing more about the place. NGMA is situated at the end of Rajpath, in the central hexagon around India Gate, conserved under the supervision of Government of India. It is housed in the splendid and magnificent former residential place of Maharaja of Jaipur. This is one of the premier art galleries, inaugurated on March 29, 1954. It has a huge collection of more than 14,000 paintings, sculptures and artwork of both Indian and foreign artists. Moreover, this art gallery exhibits iconic work of modern artists of mid-19th century.

As soon as I entered the gallery, I was mesmerized by the exquisite beauty of the museum and paintings exhibited there. Going around the art gallery, my eyes got mystified with British colonial art fused with traditional style of Indian art (of many regions). The art gallery exhibits and preserves work of almost all famous Indian artists like Raja Ravi Verma, Thomas Daniell, Abanindranath Tagore, Rabindranath Tagore, Gaganendranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose, Jamini Roy, Amrita Sher-Gil and other international artists. It indubitably gives bird-eye-view to art lovers to significant collection of pre-modern to contemporary art paintings.

 The gallery exhibits a large collection of Amrita Sher-Gil’s paintings, which caught my fancy. Sher-Gil was a female pioneer of modern Indian art, often recognized as India’s Frida Kahlo. Her artwork was heavily influenced by realism. As she was trained by an Italian master, the confluence of East and West was quite evident in her vibrant paintings. The unique style of her painting was an impact of ‘European’ style. Her paintings were etched with eloquent symbols of the human condition expressing the lives of Indian people through vivid portraits. Some collections of Sher-Gil’s that were exhibited in NGMA were Group of Three Girls, 1935; Bride's Toilet, 1937; Village Scene, 1938; Brahmacharis and South Indian Villagers Going to Market, 1937. Such captivating and alluring artwork of Sher-Gil tempted me to capture pictures; but as photography was not allowed inside the hall, I penned down my enriching experience that had entrenched in my mind after seeing paintings. People interested in buying prints of Shergill’s work can do some online research. Today, many online art galleries sell prints of her works. So if you are one of those who wish to adorn your house with a print of one of Shergill’s famous works you can simply buy art online from one of the leading online galleries. They offer the convenience of being able to select artworks sitting at home at the click of a mouse. Technology today has made art readily accessible to everyone which is a very good development. In this manner, art will reach to a larger audience and artists will get benefitted.

There were so many artists whose works were exhibited in NGMA. I almost got lost in them. After spending around four hours at the gallery it was time for me to leave. As I exited I noticed that the stately estate gardens were adorned with alluring sculptures by Subodh Gupta, one of India’s leading installation artists. I hurriedly switched on my mobile and captured a few images of his work to keep them as memory. It was a delightful experience spending my day visiting this popular modern art gallery showcasing such beautiful artworks. The art museum also has a small art shop, where a lot of souvenirs and print form of paintings were displayed. Visitors could buy art from this shop. I purchased print reproduction of Amrita Sher-Gil’s paintings. I would suggest art lovers and art collectors to visit the NGMA art gallery in Delhi. If you do not then you are seriously missing out on experiencing some really good art.