Discovering Rare Paintings: Exploring India’s Rich Artistic Heritage

Even though art is all around us, there are a select few works that have stood the test of time and crossed cultural boundaries to claim their rightful position in the annals of art. These paintings have captured the interest of art lovers for years because they have a tale in addition to being gorgeous. Each colour drop and brush stroke applied to the canvas represents a word.

Indian painters have also produced some incredible works of art that have captured the attention of the entire world. Here is a list of five of the most elusive but famous Indian paintings ever created, epoch-defining works that will never be forgotten, in no particular order.

• Amrita Sher Gil - Self Portrait 

This self-portrait from 1931 by Amrita Sher-Gil shows the influential modern artist at the age of 18. Only eight of Sher-paintings Gil's have ever been put up for auction; this is also the first picture by the artist to ever be offered at Christie's London. The observer is drawn into the artist's deepest psyche, where they find a sea of melancholy, by Sher-intense, Gil's almost hypnotic self-portraits.

• Bharat Mata - Abanindranath Tagore 

Bharat Mata, one of Abanindranath Tagore's most famous works of art (the creator of the Bengal School of Art), shows a saffron-clad woman clutching a book, sheaves of paddy, a piece of white fabric, a garland, and other objects in her four hands. The artwork attracted a lot of attention from nationalists in those days because of its emotional significance and historical significance, particularly in the wake of Lord Curzon's proposal to divide Bengal. Intriguingly, Sister Nivedita intended to transport the picture from Kashmir to Kanyakumari in order to incite nationalist fervour among the populace.

• Shakuntala - Raja Rajiv Varma 

Raja Ravi Varma, a well-known Indian artist, created the epic picture, Shakuntala. An important character from Mahabaratha, Shakuntala, is portrayed by Ravi Varma as pretending to remove a thorn from her foot while actually hunting for her husband/lover, Dushyantha, and calling her friends' bluff.

• Mahishasura - Tyeb Mehta 

Tyeb Mehta's Mahishasura, a retelling of the story of the demon of the same name and the most significant piece by India's best modern artist, was the first Indian painting to reach the million-dollar mark when it sold for a record-breaking $1.584 million at Christie's in 2005. After Tyeb's trip to Shantiniketan, where he was inspired by the Mahishasura mythology, the artwork was created. Mehta creates a profoundly modern piece that is brimming with new vigour by fusing ancient iconography with simplicity of form, colour, and line.

• Three Pujarins - Jamini Roy 

Three Pujarins, a masterwork by renowned Bengali artist Jamini Roy, who is regarded as one of the early modernists of twentieth-century Indian art, features three priestesses with almond-shaped eyes. Roy experimented with vibrant colours and developed his own unique painting style, which led to works of art that were a visual feast. Roy was inspired by the Bengali folk art tradition.