"P T Reddy's portrait of Nehru lies somewhere between a realistic painting and a caricature. It is quite different from the other portraits of Nehru or Indira Gandhi which are much more in the literary style. Plus Reddy's work is very large so it is quite intense to look at," Kishore Singh, Director, Delhi Art Gallery (DAG) says.
In terms of historical perspective the very large show begins with early 18th century European artists who come to India searching for subjects and commissions. It then goes on to trace the entry of Indian artists into portraiture makings from miniature and fresco art forms and their growth over a period of time to the rise of modernism.
"Then there came a time when photography had become a rage and artists started doing psychological portraits something like what Rabindranath Tagore did by getting into the subject rather than portraits that concentrated on physical attributes say like women posing with needlework, a vase of flowers or even a book," Singh who has curated the show, says.
Over 150-odd artists have contributed to the "amazing and fantastic oeuvre" says Singh who points out that "placing the together portraits from over such a large period of time gives us a sense of history."
"Initially artists painted women ranging from courtesans to concubines before moving into elite homes. Educated and westernised Parsi women have been captured and later on women from the royal families. There is also a fantastic collection of self portraits by artists like Gopal Ghose, Gopal Sanyal, Abalall Rahiman, Savarkar Savi etc," the curator says.