Paritosh Sen

When the calcutta Group, an artists’ collective of which Paritosh sen was a founder member, emerged on the

Indian visual art scenario, it intended to turn the tide away from the prevailing dominant that was marked,

still, by the revivalism of the Bengal school. significantly, in 1953, after a decade of its collective effort, the

booklet accompanying their exhibition mentioned: ‘the guiding motto of our Group is best expressed in the

slogan “art should be international and inter-dependent”. In other words, our art cannot progress or develop if

we always look back to our past glories and cling to our old traditions at all cost. the vast new world of art, rich

and infinitely varied, created by Masters the world over in all ages, beckons us’.

It further declared: ‘In the West, kings have long been dethroned and the reins of the state have passed into the

hands of the common man. today the artists no longer decorate the baroque palaces of kings or the interior of

the chapels but work independently in their studios or decorate the communal buildings. the great french
movements in art — Impressionism, cubism, surrealism, etc. — all evolved through this changed ideal in art.

such a movement is under way in our country too.’

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While one might justifiably consider this as a retrospective statement, it nevertheless forms an index to the

aims and objectives in the group’s collective practice, and highlights the points of reference for its transforming

visual language; it is clearly evident that the adoption from a wide range of options between Impressionism and

surrealism was viewed as a springboard that could catapult the artists towards the optimism of universal

comprehensibility of their personal visual languages, an attempt to ‘bridge the gap’ brought about by colonial

experience.

The experience of the collective remained ingrained, even if subliminally, as its members moved on towards

their individual.
TIMELINE

The artist is born on October 18 in dacca (now Dhaka, in Bangladesh).

1936–40

Studies at Government school of art and craft, Madras, training under DP Roy Chowdhury.

1940

Moves to calcutta and comes across books on european art and artists such as Monet, cezanne, van Gogh and

Gauguin, which are imported to cater to the needs of the soldiers of the allied forces in the city. sen’s work
begins to reflect certain changes due to this exposure: an unrestrained palette, bold lines, and an almost

pointillist technique. He joins as art teacher at daly college, Indore.

1943

Forms calcutta Group, the first Indian modernist artist collective that consciously draws on european

modernism. fellow artists include Gopal Ghose, prodosh das Gupta, Gobardhan ash, subho tagore, rathin

Maitra, and rabin Mondal. the group’s guiding slogan — ‘Man is supreme, there is none above him’ — and

inaugural exhibition creates a stir in the art community.

1950

Paritosh Sen is heavily influenced by the styles and works of artists such as Picasso, Matisse, and Brancusi,

which is evident in his use of strong, bold lines, mixed palette and overall composition.

1953

He attends the inauguration ceremony of the annual art exhibition, salon de Mai, in Paris, and comes face to

face with picasso. the next day sen visits picasso in his apartment-cum-studio at rue Gay Lussac to show the

master his works. picasso offers to organise an exhibition for him. However, sen has made up his mind to

return to India.
1954

Returns to calcutta. although upset by the poverty around him, he is hopeful when he witnesses groups of

rickshawallahs and others singing and dancing after a long day’s work, and thus begins to paint works with

everyday life as his theme. Moves to Netarhat near Ranchi to join netarhat Vidyalaya as art teacher. the green,

rugged landscape of netarhat and its locals find their way into his compositions.

1962

Holds a solo exhibition, based on Indian ragas and raginis, in London.

He is invited by the Government of France to spend a year in paris during which he designs the Bengali

typeface, based on Rabindranath Tagore’s handwriting.

In the same year, the West Bengal government commissions a documentary on his work.
Late 1960s

Sen’s works turn darker to reflect his ideological support for the naxalite movement.

1967

Prime Minister Indira Gandhi unveils Paritosh sen’s portrait of Jawaharlal nehru in

Hyderabad.
1968

Sen creates a series of new paintings reflecting human anguish and turbulence. the titles of the paintings are

revealing enough: The Human Condition, Man Descending Through Space, The Fall, and so on, paints

portraits, two of them commemorating the famous singer Ustad Bade Gulam ali Khan. for sen, these works

present the perfect amalgamation of his love for Indian music as well as his own strength as an artist. santi p.

chowdhury writes, ‘one could stand before the canvases and hear the Ustad sing.

The bold, black lines in his work give way to a burst of overlapping colours such as green, blue, red, yellow, and

brown.

1986

His story, A Tree in My Village, is published by national Institute of design, ahmedabad. the text is designed in

sen’s own calligraphy and he also illustrates the folios.

● Is appointed commissioner of the Indian section of the Havana Biennale II, cuba.

● Is invited to speak on Indian contemporary painting at Loomis chaffee school by allan Lundie Wise

Lecture fund, Windsor, U.SA, receives fellowship from Lalit Kala akademi, New Delhi.

A documentary is made on him by doordarshan, calcutta, titled One Day in the Life of a

Celebrity.
1989

Government of West Bengal awards him the abanindra puraskar for painting.

1995

Is awarded the West Bengal state Lalit Kala prize for achievement in art.

1996

publishes Abu Symbol, Picasso O Anyanya Tirthe. the book, a tribute to picasso and Brancusi, describes his

visit to their studios and his travels and life in paris. Publishes his autobiography, Zindabahar.

1998

Is honoured with the Hirachand dugar award.

2002

As recognition of his significant contribution to the arts, the Fench Government confers on him the L’officier de

l’orde des arts et des lettres, which is the order of arts and Letters.
2004

Receives Lalit Kala ratna from Lalit Kala akademi, new delhi.

2006

Holds a joint show with Tyeb Mehta at Gallery one, London.

2008

Passes away in october.