Looking back at the era and life of the PAG members

The celebrated Progressive Artists’ Group (PAG) continues to thrive on the adulation, aura and appreciation that they have enjoyed over all these years. Reputed collectors of Indian art internationally including Rudy von Laden, Emmanuel Schlesinger, Kito de Boer, and Charles Herwitz have preferred them over many next-generation artists.

Even collectors, who have recently arrived on the scene, continue to follow suit. As a result, the Progressives’ hold on the auction market has been rather firm. They occupy a large chunk of the secondary sales market. A series of events and exhibitions only help to retain the spotlight on the PAG. For example, an exhibition at London based Grosvenor Gallery last year featured several significant works by the group.

As if taking a cue, some of their wonderful works were just recently showcased by Delhi Art Gallery. ‘Continuum’ comprised some unseen gems by FN Souza, SH Raza, MF Husain, KH Ara, SK Bakre and HA Gade. In the backdrop of a sustained interest in their works and lives, it is worth relooking at an elaborate documentation of their evolution, entitled ‘The Making of Modern Indian Art: The Progressives’ (Hardback; Rs. 3950; Publisher: The Oxford University Press).

Providing an apt backgrounder, an introductory essay mentions: “Around the time of Independence, emerged a group of artists who were to lead the way for Indian art in the decades to come. This group has given Indian art a new direction, infusing it with their distinctive styles and initiating the modernist movement in India. It’s a portrayal of the formative years of modern Indian art, when its parameters were being established.”

Authored by art historian and independent curator Yashodhara Dalmia, this meticulously researched and richly illustrated book spans their respective life journeys, thought processes and themes, pointing out that the most significant thing about the PAG artists was not merely their unconventional work, but the circumstances under which they joined forces – to make an emphatic artistic statement.