'Between the 50s and the early 80s Richard Bartholomew wrote relentlessly about art. He challenged institutions like the Lalit Kala Akademi and the NGMA with his provocative questions about the role of the state in promoting art; he visited artists' studios, befriended them, and advocated, on their behalf, the need for an aesthetic language that could reflect the modern Indian condition; he curated some of the most prominent shows of art in India and abroad, and, in his capacity as director of Kunika Chemould, the country's first commercial gallery, nurtured some of the finest Indian artists.
As a critic for the Indian Express, Times of India, and Thought magazine, Richard was privy to some of definitive moments in the history of Modern Indian art. Seen in retrospect, his massive body of writing on art is prophetic as it harks back to an era when Indian painters such as S.H. Raza, M.F. Husain, Tyeb Mehta, F.N. Souza, Ram Kumar, and others who were still struggling to break free from the tired, overused idiom of the Bengal school and work within a more nuanced understanding of what constitutes the modern aesthetic; a time when paintings were sold for "the price of a bottle of whiskey or a cotton sari" as Richard recorded in one of his pieces.
Abridged from the original, this selected collection offers the contemporary reader a flavour of that birthing period in the history of Modern Indian art in a voice that is authoritative yet accessible, while establishing a standard for critical art writing. Over 10 years in the making, it is both a tribute and a testimony to Richard's overwhelming, though unacknowledged, contribution to the evolution of Modern Indian art and the development of art criticism in India.' - from Bartholomew's website.
Includes an introduction by Geeta Kapur, a choronology, an afterword by his son Pablo Bartholomew, and an index.
Onsite
English
2012
639
9789350673652
1
monograph
An Indian Critic and the Bard’s Puzzle - Geeta KAPUR
Section 1: The Critic
Criticism in India (1959)
Criticism and Contemporary Indian Painting parts I &II (1957)
Section 2: The Development of Indian Art
Indian Painting since 1947 (1955)
Trends in Contemporary Indian Art (1957)
Contemporary Indian Painting (1961)
The Visual Arts Mature (1972)
Contemporary Indian Painting (1973)
Recent Trends in Graphics (1974)
Contemporary Painting and Sculpture (1982)
Section 3: Affinities
Plastic Surgery and X-ray in Recent Indian Painting (1964)
Esoteric, Organic, Photographic and Picturesque (1974)
Light and Colour as Themes of Vision (1974)
Nature and Abstraction: An Enquiry into their Interaction (1977-78)
Attitudes to the Social Condition: Notes on Ram Kumar, Satish Gujral, Krishen Khanna and A. Ramachandran (1978)
Section 4: Pen Portraits
The World of Sailoz Mookherjea (1960)
The Smile of the Mountains: Kanwal Krishna (1960)
Banker-Painter (1957)
Ram Kumar (1961)
Biren De (1961)
The Wall of Satish Gujral (1961)
The “Letters” of M.F. Husain (1971)
M.F. Husain (1971)
Section 5: Politics of Art
Art and the Akademi – I (1958)
Art and the Akademi – II (1958)
Art and the Akademi – III (1958)
Playing Possum in Art (1959)
The Art of the Akademi (1959)
Art in the Shadow of Official Patronage (1959)
A Short Biography of the Lalit Kala Akademi (1959)
If Gold Should Rust What Shall Iron Do? (1974)
Section 6: Pioneers
Rabindranath Tagore, Amrita Sher-Gil, Jamini Roy. The Beautiful Penumbra (1966)
Amrita Sher-Gil – Her Life and Paintings (1972)
Jamini Roy and the Akademi (1974)
Section 7: The Fifties
The First National Exhibition of Art (1955)
Second National Exhibition of Art (1956)
Exhibition of Eight Painters (1956)
The Contemporary Indian Art Exhibition (1956)
Delhi Silpi Chakra: Tenth Annual Exhibition (1958)
Trends in Modern Indian Art (1959)
Fifth All-India Sculpture Exhibition (1959)
Biren De: A Problem of Space and Colour (1950)
The Noble Savage and the Ascetic: The Paintings of Biren De (1958)
The Paintings of Ram Kumar (1955)
Ram Kumar and the Theatre of the Mind (1959)
Forty Works by M.F. Husain (1957)
Recent Paintings by M.F. Husain (1959)
Paintings of Krishen Khanna (1958)
Satish Gujral: The Agony of Belief (1956)
Contemporary Indian Artists: Dhanraj Bhagat (1959)
“Composition 1957” (1957)
The Human Form in Indian Sculpture (1959)
The World of Laxman Pai (1958)
Paintings by S.H. Raza (1959)
Paintings and Sketches by K.G. Subramanian (1955)
Sculptures by Shanko Chaudhuri (1956)
Paintings That Depict the Indian Psyche (1957)
29 Paintings by H.A. Gade (1958)
Sculptures by C.P. Rajaram (1959)
Paintings by Anjolie Ela Dev (1959)
Paintings by Jaswant Singh (1959)
Paintings, Ceramics and Batik Work by Devayani Krishna (1957)
The Graphics of Kanwal Krishna (1959)
Section 8: The Sixties
Indian Triennale: First Impressions (1968)
Delhi Silpi Chakra Annual Exhibition (1961)
The Elusive Image: Delhi Silpi Chakra Annual (1967)
The Second Generation of Painters (1960)
The Dark is Light Enough (1960)
Exhibition: Satish Gujral’s Paintings (1964)
Impressions of Varanasi: Wax and Ink Paintings by Ram Kumar (1960)
A Question of Focus (1961)
Rare Clarity and Power Part of Husain Make-Up (1965)
Drawing-room Decorations (1965)
Jeram Patel (1963)
Material and Medium (1965)
Eighteen Paintings by Biren De (1961)
Krishen Khanna (1962)
Fourteen Sumi-e-Paintings (1965)
Twelve Compositions with the Fifure by Tyeb Mehta (1966)
Mystery Minus Mystique: Sumi-e and Oils by Tyeb Mehta (1967)
The Works of Sailoz Mookherjea (1960)
Paintings by P.T. Reddy (1960)
Ready, Steady, Go (1968)
Shanti, Shanti, Shanti (1966)
Laxman Pai (1962)
Pai, Purusha and Prakriti (1966)
Recent Paintings by K.S. Kulkarni (1961)
The Art of Polite Conversation (1966)
A Sculptor Dedicated to Nature (1961)
Vivid Metal and Wood Sculptures by Dhanraj Bhagat (1966)
The Swaminathan Cycle (1966)
Kinetic, Not Psychic: First One-man show of Ramachandran’s Paintings (1966)
The Human Puppet: A Note on Ramachandran’s “Encounter” and Preliminary Sketches for the Easel Painting (1967)
Stripped Trees and Bird Catchers: 15 Paintings and 3 drawings by J. Sultan Ali (1966)
The Naked Truth: Paintings and Drawings by J. Sultan Ali (1967)
Sultan Ali, A Painstaking Painter (1969)
Paintings by V.S. Gaitonde (1960)
Gulammohammed Sheikh (1963)
Painter Who Shocks People (1965)
The Writing on the Wall (1966)
In Search of the Secret Life: 15 Paintings by G.R. Santosh (1966)
The Bird in Hand (1966)
The Map or the Diagram: 22 Paintings by Himmat Shah (1966)
Spectacle of Sex in Sundaram’s Paintings (1966)
No Man is an Island (1966)
Artist ‘Earnest’ but Art ‘Bore' (1962)
Magic Lantern Show (1966)
Admirable Oils by Paramjit (1967)
Pilgrim’s Progress: Retrospective Exhibition of the Paintings of K.K. Hebbar (1968)
Padamsee’s Paintings are Drawings in Colour (1969)
Impressive Display of Benode Bihari’s Works (1969)
Paintings and Sketches by Jaya Appasamy (1960)
Subtracting from Nature (1967)
Lush, Variegated Textures (1966)
Matbar Singh (1963)
Group Show of Graphic Art: Kunika Group Show of Works by Tyeb Mehta, Husain, Gaitonde, Ram Kumar, Kanwal, Devayani Krishna and others (1961)
The Krishnas: Kanwal and Devayani (1960)
From Lovers and Cacti to Allah: Recent Graphics by Devayani Krishna (1967)
Variations in Imagery (1967)
Telescoping Time (1968)
Talented by Tame (1967)
Interesting Intaglio Prints on View (1969)
Graphic Show by Alkazis of a High Standard (1964)
Lithographs by Maganbhai Soma and Nakli Ram (1965)
Splendid Show by Group 8 (1969)
Between Quality and Quantity Photographs by T.S. Satyan, Sunil Janah (1965)
Personal Photography: “Life in Germany”: A Photo Essay by T.S. Satyan, and documentary prints from the Federal Republic of Germany (1966)
Seventh Members’ Photographic Exhibition (1960)
Section 9: The Seventies
Rise of the Private Image (1970)
National Art Exhibition Opened (1976)
Third Triennale: Some Plain Speaking (1975)
‘The Rejects’ Win First Round at Silpi Chakra (1972)
Interesting Canvases on Show (1972)
Souza’s Drawings on Display (1972)
Interesting Exhibition of Art by Group (1974)
Young Painters Shine Among Contemporaries (1972)
Massive Art Show for Serving a Cause (1977)
Calcutta Artists Have Surrealist Approach (1972)
Manifestations of Group Spirit (1974)
Mixed Group of Bengal Artists (1976)
Kerala Artists Rooted in Myth, Folklore (1975)
The Gujral Artefact (1974)
A Painter for All Seasons (1975)
Ram Kumar ‘73 (1972)
The Abstract Principles in the Paintings of Ram Kumar (1975-76)
Ram Kumar’s Hallmark of Maturity (1977)
Souza’s Shock Treatment (1973)
Presence of Time Evident in Souza Work (1976)
Santosh’s Serious Essays in Paint (1970)
Esoteric Principle in Painting (1973)
Vision Still Evident in Santosh’s Paintings (1976)
The Lone Wolf: Recent Paintings by Jeram Patel (1970)
Jeram Patel (1977)
Krishen’s Paintings are Strong and Direct (1972)
Common Objects Presented in Unusual Way (1975)
Khakkar’s One-man Show of Paintings (1970)
Bhupen Khakkar’s 26 Watercolours (1976)
Laxman Pai (1975)
Expressive Paintings by Laxman (1976)
Spectacular Paintings by Ramachandran (1977)
V. Sundaram: A Lyrical Painter (1972)
On Grafitti, Spaghetti and Social Comment (1976)
Elements of Surprise in Paramjit’s Paintings (1975)
To Care and Not To Care for Shanti (1974)
Nasreen’s Works: Deft and Delicate (1972)
Nasreen’s Drawings Have Colour and Rhythm (1976)
Consistent Approach in Sanyal’s Paintings (1975)
Ambadas: A Mature, Sensitive Painter (1970)
Tyeb’s Paintings of Unfinished Character (1972)
Swami’s Paintings Overdramatic (1973)
Arpita Singh’s Visual Metaphors are Good (1972)
Anjolie’s Figures Are Poetic (1972)
Sensitivity is Sabavala’s Forte (1972)
Jehangir Sabavala: Painter of People (1976)
Fine Constructions in Plaster (1973)
Intelligent Use of Colours by De (1974)
Discreet Use of Colour by Manu Parekh (1974)
Jatin’s Works Impressive (1974)
Warmly Abstract Paintings by Viswanadhan (1974)
Excellent Paintings, Metal Reliefs by Vasudev (1975)
Arnawaz’s Paintings Have Element of Cogency (1975)
Fine Workmanship in Nayar’s Art (1976)
Refreshing Pencil Drawings of Laxma Goud (1976)
Saroj Pal Gogi (1979-80)
Surrealist Keen on Musical Analogies (1972)
Works of Personal Expressionsm (1972)
Decorative Paintings by Dhiraj Choudhury (1976)
Red Key Colour in Mohanti’s Paintings (1977)
Ram Kinkar’s Watercolours Show Variegated Vastness (1976)
Subramanyan’s Terracottas on Show (1972)
Grace Abounding: Recent Sculptures by Chintamoni Kar (1970)
Sculptures With Core of Stillness (1972)
Dynamic Sculpture by Meera (1970)
Sehgal’s True Self Yet to Find Expression (1972)
Krishna Reddy (1974)
Kanwal Krishna (1976)
Senior Service: Recent Graphics by Devayani Krishna (1970)
Devayani Krishna (1976)
Variegated Show of Bright, Grey Prints (1970)
Neat Exhibition of Prints by Group 8 (1973)
Prints with Brilliance of Paintings (1976)
Very Fine Show by Group 8 (1976)
Bonanza for Art Buyers At Graphic Workshop (1974)
Print-making Workshop Shows Good Results (1977)
Retrospective of Kishor Parekh's Work (1983)
Afterword - Pablo BARTHOLOMEW
Richard Bartholomew: The Art Critic
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