A Hungarian-Indian Family of Artists: Master and Disciple

Gopalan Rajamani, guest author

On 31 January 2025, an exhibition titled A Hungarian-Indian Family of Artists: Master and Disciple was inaugurated at the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi in collaboration with the Ferenc Hopp Museum of Asiatic Arts, Budapest and the Liszt Institute Hungarian Cultural Centre, New Delhi.  The exhibition has been curated by Ms. Judit Bagi, Curator Archive of Ferenc Hopp Museum.

The unique exhibition offers an extraordinary opportunity to explore the creative journeys of three remarkable individuals — Umrao Singh Sher-Gil, Amrita Sher-Gil, and Ervin Baktay — whose personal and professional relationships bridge two distinct cultures. Amrita Sher-Gil was one of the greatest avant-garde women artists of the early 20th century and a pioneer in modern Indian art. She was mentored by her father, Umrao Singh Sher-Gil and her maternal uncle, Ervin Baktay. Her father was an outstanding photographer. Ervin Baktay was an author, painter and Indologist.