Maarg Manthan · Topic 3.10

Contemporary Paintings (Progressive Artists’ Group)

Art & Culture › Painting · Topic 3.10

Contemporary Indian painting after independence began with the Progressive Artists' Group (PAG), formed in Bombay in 1947 by F. N. Souza, S. H. Raza, M. F. Husain, K. H. Ara, H. A. Gade and S. K. Bakre, who rejected both the Bengal School revivalism and academic realism and sought an international modernist language rooted in Indian life. The group was effectively dissolved by 1956. Later movements include the Baroda school, the Madras Art Movement and Cholamandal artists' village (1966), and Group 1890 (1963). Husain, Raza, Souza, Tyeb Mehta and V. S. Gaitonde are among its best known names.

5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Art & Culture · Painting

At a Glance

Group Progressive Artists’ Group (PAG), Bombay, 1947
Founders Souza, Raza, Husain, Ara, Gade, Bakre
Aim Break from revivalism and academic art
Later groups Baroda school, Madras movement, Group 1890
Village Cholamandal near Chennai, 1966
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Art and Culture: Painting

Where Does It Fit?

This topic follows modern painting of the Bengal School and Ravi Varma. It covers art after 1947, when Indian painters engaged with global modernism while using local subjects. Previous topic: Modern Paintings (Bengal School, Raja Ravi Varma). Next topic: Company School Painting (Colonial Era).

Who Are the Key Contemporary Artists?

Artist	Group or centre	Known for
F. N. Souza	Founder of PAG, Bombay	Expressive, distorted heads and nudes; later worked in London and New York
S. H. Raza	PAG, later Paris	Landscape abstraction, then the geometric Bindu series; Padma Vibhushan in 2013
M. F. Husain	PAG, Bombay	Bold figures, horses and Indian themes; Padma Vibhushan in 1991
K. H. Ara	PAG	Still life and nude figures in strong colour
H. A. Gade	PAG	Abstract landscapes
S. K. Bakre	PAG	Sculptor and painter, the only sculptor in the founding group
Tyeb Mehta	Bombay	Falling Figure, Mahishasura and the diagonal split composition
V. S. Gaitonde	Bombay	Luminous abstract paintings
K. G. Subramanyan	Baroda	Teacher at Baroda, murals and reverse glass painting
K. C. S. Paniker	Madras	Founder of Cholamandal and the Madras Art Movement

What Were the Main Post-Independence Movements?

Progressive Artists’ Group: Bombay, 1947; first show in 1949; encouraged by Francis Newton Souza and critics like Rudolf von Leyden
Bombay Group: later the Bombay painters including Padamsee, Mehta and Gaitonde
Calcutta Group: founded in 1943, before PAG, with socialist leanings, led by Gopal Ghose and Prodosh Dasgupta
Delhi Shilpi Chakra: formed in 1949 in Delhi by artists such as Bhabesh Sanyal and Dhanraj Bhagat
Baroda school: Faculty of Fine Arts, M. S. University, Baroda, under N. S. Bendre and K. G. Subramanyan
Madras Art Movement: K. C. S. Paniker, Cholamandal Artists’ Village near Chennai from 1966
Group 1890: Bhopal, 1963; led by J. Swaminathan, which looked for a personal Indian modernism
Kochi-Muziris Biennale: launched in 2012 in Kerala, the first biennale of contemporary art in India

What Else Should You Remember?

Ideas of the PAG: the group wanted free expression and new forms, and used Indian themes without copying earlier styles
Raza: Syed Haider Raza moved to Paris in 1950, and later his Bindu (point) paintings drew from Indian ideas of energy
Husain: M. F. Husain began as a cinema hoarding painter; he lived abroad from 2006 and died in 2011
Souza: Francis Newton Souza was expelled from his school for graffiti and was among the first modern Indian artists to find acclaim abroad
Alternate names: the PAG is also written Progressive Artists Group, and Francis Newton Souza is F. N. Souza
Art market: works by Raza, Souza, Gaitonde and Husain have sold for large sums in recent years, so contemporary Indian art is also a market topic
Institutions: the Lalit Kala Akademi, the National Gallery of Modern Art and the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art support the field
Triennale India: the Lalit Kala Akademi’s international exhibition began in 1968 in New Delhi
Link with sculpture: see Modern Indian Sculpture for sculptors of the same period
Previous phase: the Bengal School and Ravi Varma are covered in Modern Paintings (Bengal School, Raja Ravi Varma)
Folk link: many artists used folk and tribal motifs, as in Regional Paintings (Madhubani, Warli, Patachitra, Kalamkari, Phad, Gond)
Institutions page: see Government Cultural Institutions in India (Sangeet Natak Akademi, Lalit Kala Akademi, Sahitya Akademi, ASI, INTACH)

Why Does It Matter for the Exam?

Founders: six founding names of PAG
Year and place: 1947, Bombay
Later groups: Group 1890 in 1963, Cholamandal in 1966
Artist to style: Raza to Bindu, Tyeb Mehta to Falling Figure
Common errors: placing PAG in Calcutta or counting Amrita Sher-Gil as a founding member

As an analytical point, contemporary Indian art shows how artists moved from nationalism to individual expression. The rising market and biennales bring visibility but also raise concerns about forgery, archives and public access to art.

Why Is This Topic Important?

PAG Founders and year
Movements Later groups
Artists Style match

What Came Next?

The next topic covers Company School painting, the colonial-era style that preceded these movements. Next topic: Company School Painting (Colonial Era).

Key People and Terms

PAG Progressive Artists’ Group
Bindu Point, Raza series
Cholamandal Artists’ village near Chennai
Biennale Art show every two years
Triennale Art show every three years
Group 1890 Bhopal artists’ group

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

PAG: 1947, Bombay.
Founders: Souza, Raza, Husain, Ara, Gade, Bakre.
Group 1890: 1963, Bhopal.
Cholamandal: 1966, Chennai.
First Indian biennale: Kochi-Muziris, 2012.

Do Not Confuse With

PAG and Bengal School Modernist internationalism versus nationalist revival
PAG and Calcutta Group Bombay 1947 versus Calcutta 1943
Biennale and Triennale Every two years versus every three years

Memory Hook

Six in Bombay in 1947: Souza, Raza, Husain, Ara, Gade, Bakre.

Mains Angle

Questions ask about the change from revivalism to modernism. These points give a frame.

Modernism Global and local
Institutions Support for artists
Market Access and archives

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“How did the Progressive Artists’ Group alter the course of Indian painting after independence?”

How to Answer

Intro Context of 1947.
Group Founders and aims.
Impact Later movements.
Close Market and institutions.

GS Relevance

Prelims: PAG founders, later movements, artists, institutions. GS Paper 1: Indian heritage and culture, post-independence painting.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the Progressive Artists' Group?

The Progressive Artists' Group was a Bombay-based group of painters formed in 1947 by F. N. Souza, S. H. Raza, M. F. Husain, K. H. Ara, H. A. Gade and S. K. Bakre. It rejected revivalist and academic styles and sought a new modern Indian art in dialogue with global trends.

Who were the founders of the Progressive Artists' Group?

The six founders were Francis Newton Souza, Syed Haider Raza, Maqbool Fida Husain, Krishnaji Howlaji Ara, Hari Ambadas Gade and Sadanand K. Bakre. Souza took the lead, and the group held its first show in 1949. It was effectively dissolved by 1956.

What is Group 1890?

Group 1890 was a group of artists formed in Bhopal in 1963 under J. Swaminathan, with members such as Jyoti Bhatt and Gulam Mohammed Sheikh. They sought an individual Indian modernism that did not depend on Western trends, and they held their first exhibition in 1963.

What is Cholamandal Artists' Village?

Cholamandal Artists' Village is an artists' community near Chennai, founded in 1966 under K. C. S. Paniker as part of the Madras Art Movement. It brought together painters and sculptors who worked in a distinct style using linear forms, symbols and tradition, and it is a notable art centre of south India.

Which was the first biennale of contemporary art in India?

The Kochi-Muziris Biennale, launched in 2012 in Kerala, was the first biennale of contemporary art in India. It is held in Kochi and the Muziris heritage area, in old warehouses and public spaces, and it draws international artists and tourists.

Why is the Progressive Artists' Group important for UPSC?

Prelims asks for the year, place and founders of the group, and later movements like Group 1890 and Cholamandal. Remember Bombay in 1947, the six founders, Raza's Bindu series, Husain's Padma Vibhushan in 1991, and the Kochi-Muziris Biennale as the first biennale in 2012.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 The Progressive Artists' Group was founded in Bombay in 1947.

True

By six artists.

2 Amrita Sher-Gil was a founding member of PAG.

False

She died in 1941, before PAG.

3 Cholamandal Artists' Village is near Chennai.