Jehangir Art Gallery Retrospective: Indian Modernist Painters Revisited
- Sutithi Ghosh
- 23 hours ago
- 5 min read
Jehangir Art Gallery, a name associated with prestige, stands tall in the heart of Mumbai, at the Kala Ghoda art district, presenting India’s most daring artistic voices, creating a niche of its own — as a legacy-maker since independence.
The gallery has witnessed the evolving identity of Indian artistic expressions, accommodating stalwarts such as M. F. Husain, S. H. Raza, F. N. Souza, Tyeb Mehta, Akbar Padamsee, Anjolie Ela Menon, and others — artists whose voices often overlap, merge, or paint truth in a style of their own.
This year, in 2025, the gallery is preparing for a grand retrospective exhibition of legendary Indian modernist painters such as S. H. Raza and M. F. Husain, showcasing some of their remarkable works. These luminaries have undeniably influenced the larger canvas of Indian modern art, connecting the legacies to Bombay Art Society’s enduring heritage.
As Mumbai gets ready for this artistic extravaganza, the premium gallery once again takes on its role as a custodian of India’s modern art narrative and a meeting place where history meets the thriving visions of contemporary Indian artists alike. Join us to follow the historical celebration and witness the fascinating artistic journey of India.
The Legacy of Jehangir Art Gallery
Jehangir Art Gallery, a name pronounced with awe and admiration as a cultural landmark, has launched several post-independence modernist icons of India, democratizing the space for creative expressions — a place from where the discourse between private and public begins.
Built in 1952 by Sir Cowasji Jehangir, the illustrious gallery provides a democratic stage for artists, connoisseurs, curators, and visitors to engage in meaningful dialogue and transcend the boundaries of conventional aesthetics. With its multiple exhibition halls, the gallery strives to promote contemporary art, offering free access and entry to exhibitions, connecting enthusiasts with the latest artistic experiments and insights.
Indian Modernist Painters Revisited at the ‘Look Back’ Show
The retrospective is more than a nostalgic throwback — it’s an initiative to trigger a cultural conversation between past and present, inviting visitors to rediscover the fearless torchbearers of modern art. Visitors will be exposed to the latest experiments in themes, colour choices, and styles that serve as markers of cultural transformation. This retrospective Mumbai art exhibition will connect the heart and soul of the Bombay Art Society with the radical perspectives of the Progressive Artists’ Group (including two of its founding members, M. F. Husain and S. H. Raza), blending the colours of legacy and innovation.
M. F. Husain: From Gram Yatra to Gaja Gamini
Maqbool Fida Husain, painter and film director, hardly needs any introduction, as the name is celebrated both in India and the international art fraternity for his phenomenal, larger-than-life canvases. One of his monumental works from the 1950s, titled Gram Yatra, was auctioned at Christie’s South Asian Modern Art section, sold for over 118 crore rupees! It was an epic showcase of Indian society in transition, in a dialogue with global modern art.
M. F. Husain paintings and murals are mostly inspired by the European Cubist style of the early twentieth century, showing dynamism while reconstructing and deconstructing themes of Indian mythology and modernity. As one of the founder members of Mumbai’s Progressive Artists’ Group, he also extended his art into cinematic vision, directing and producing films such as Gajagamini, where his muse, Madhuri Dixit, the popular Bollywood actress, played the lead role.
S. H. Raza: From Abstraction to Pulsating Bindu (Dots)
Sayed Haider Raza, or popularly known as S. H. Raza, was another resonant voice of the Progressive Artists’ Group (PAG), revered for his geometric abstractions, evocative canvases exploring the truths of Chakra, revealing his deeper spiritual understanding of Tantrism and other philosophical ideas. Raza walked through a passage of transformation in style and form until he reached his iconic Bindu, or dot.
Although his earlier works included landscapes and cityscapes, influenced by Pahari and Rajasthani miniature styles, he gradually transitioned to intense exploration of colour symbolism, cosmology, and basic shapes like a dot or Bindu (in Sanskrit). Some of his paintings also featured words and lines of poetry in Sanskrit Devnagari script. In his later works, he was much occupied with organic shapes like Bindu as he explored the primordial origin of this shape and its spiritual core extensively.
The Other Faces of Modernism
Alongside M. F. Husain and S. H. Raza artworks, the progressive ethos also extended to their contemporaries like F.N. Souza or artists like Tyeb Mehta. From Souza’s abrasive and violent undertones of expressionism and Tyeb Mehta’s figurative study to Husain’s mythological dynamism and Raza’s Bindu obsession, the gallery has long shared more than just an artistic venue — it has been a creative platform, a nurturing space for modernist ideals to evolve and materialize.
Younger generations of today can revisit that liberal and radical ethos of PAG, to study how Indian art has journeyed into modernity, with a conviction that was bold, expressive, and ahead of their times.
The Bombay Art Society’s Legacy
The Jehangir gallery retrospective aligns with the legacy of the Bombay Art Society, a non-profit organization founded in the late nineteenth century to promote and encourage art. Almost every prominent artist of the era was associated with the art Society, which influenced the modern art movement in India. Even during British rule, it showcased works of Indian artists and helped them assert their voices and visions. The numbers have subsequently increased over the period of time, positioning Mumbai as one of India’s major art and cultural hubs.
Why This Retrospective Matters Today
As an institution of repute and reverence, Jehangir Art Gallery has not only embraced contemporary dialogues but also preserved cultural memory, inspired budding talents, offered them ample scope and opportunity to display their creations before a receptive audience comprising avid collectors, art curators, students, and enthusiasts. The gallery has also created a space for viewers to have a deeper understanding of India’s visual culture and aesthetics in the post-independence era.
Experience Indian Modern Art — A Confluence of Legacy and Innovation!
Since its journey from 1952, Jehangir Art Gallery has served as a confluence of ideas, concepts, and the emergent artistic voices of India. Significant works by M. F. Husain, F. N. Souza, S. H. Raza, K. H. Ara, Akbar Padamsee, Tyeb Mehta, and Ram Kumar — the pioneering figures behind the Progressive Artists’ Group, found a stage here, merging tradition with bold, modernist approaches. Their restless, epoch-breaking, and intuitive methods reflected the spirit of an independent India, seeking new forms and narratives to break free from the colonial legacies. In the process, they tried to engage with a global modernist vocabulary of artistic expressions.
The retrospective of modern Indian masters is more than an exhibition; it’s an invitation to art-enthusiasts to revisit India’s artistic journey after independence. If you are in Mumbai or plan to visit sometime soon, do not miss the chance to experience these legacies as you stand before the Jehangir art gallery paintings by the master artists along with works by other emerging voices.
To add more life to your 'gallery visit,' take a tour of Kala Ghoda district’s spectacular street art, cafés, and thriving cultural spaces to fully feel the immersive ambiance.
Things You Must Check About the Gallery:
Location
Jehangir Art Gallery is located in South Mumbai’s Kala Ghoda art sector.
161B, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Fort, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400001.
Behind the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya.
Opening Times & Days
The gallery is open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Note: It is advisable to check the gallery website to know about the special holiday hours and closing times before you pay a visit.
You’re invited to the Jehangir Art Gallery exhibition today!
