N.D. CHAPGAR (INDIA, 1922-?)
Girl

N.D. CHAPGAR (INDIA, 1922-?)
Girl with a Bird
Unique linocut block
17 x 6cm (6.8 x 2.3in)
Framed and glazed, with Chemould label '2092' on reverse

Exhibited:
Progressive Artists' Group, 'Exhibition of Paintings', Bombay Art Society's Salon, 6 Rampart Row, Bombay. 1st September 1951

Illustrated:
Exhibition Catalogue, Progressive Artists' Group, 'Exhibition of Paintings', Bombay Art Society's Salon, 6 Rampart Row, Bombay. 1st September 1951, page 6

Provenance:
Private U.K. Collection
Acquired by Henry John Harris, a Lieutenant Colonel in the British Army, who went on to become the managing director of Times of India in the 1940s/50s.
Thence by descent.

Born in 1922, is often regarded as one of the significant yet lesser-known figures in the development of modern Indian art. Chapgar joined the Bombay Progressive Artists' Group (PAG) at a pivotal time when some of its founding members, such as F.N. Souza and S.H. Raza, had left for Europe and other parts of the world. Although not one of the original founders of the group, Chapgar became an integral part of its mission to modernise Indian art and break free from academic conventions.

The Bombay Progressive Artists' Group was founded in 1947 by a visionary collective of artists, including Souza, M.F. Husain, K.H. Ara, and others. The group sought to create a new, modern language for Indian art that moved away from traditional styles and embraced abstraction, expressionism, and Western modernist influences while staying relevant to Indian culture. The group became a powerful force in shaping the trajectory of modern Indian art, often challenging prevailing norms and societal expectations.

As the group's founders began to travel abroad to further their artistic education and gain exposure to international art movements, the group underwent some changes in its membership. This is when Chapgar, already familiar with the artistic community in Bombay, joined the group. His entry into the collective came after a period of transition, when several of the prominent artists had left for Europe and the group's presence in Bombay had begun to shift.

These are the only known works by the artist to have ever been offered at auction and allow for the rarest of opportunies to acquire a piece of pivotal Indian modern history.