India, as part of the greater Oriental cultural tradition, has produced some of the most wondrous examples and schools of miniature paintings. Inheriting it originally from the Mughals, the school subsequently developed wonderfully ingenuous styles, owing to indigenous intervention. Different regions of the country came up with different styles, by introducing and incorporating subtle changes, so that, India can today boast of multiple sub-schools.  With time, however, newer forms of artistic articulation were introduced and artists gently moved away from the strictures of Miniature paintings, by experimenting with works in smaller formats, even without conforming to the diktats of Miniatures proper. Ganges Art Gallery is proud to showcase some of the best from within this pattern, bringing to light small-format paintings of renowned artists, otherwise celebrated for their large-scale paintings, sculptures, prints or installations.

The works of fourteen artists will be on view from the 5th to the 31st of October, 2013. It will be a delightful revelation to view the works of such distinguished senior artists as Ramananda Bandyopadhyay, Jogen Chowdhury, Sunil Das, Lalu Prasad Shaw, Shahbuddin Ahmed, usually hailed for their large-format paintings, when they bring down the scale of their work. While the measure of a work can never be assailed from its measurement, it certainly would be a viewer’s pleasure to see how visual articulation is possible in equally succinct and poignant measures even on smaller formats. Sticking to their trademark signature styles, the point of departure, therefore, lies in the ability to tell the same stories in versions much more compact.

The relatively younger crop of extremely talented artists like Nandini Chirimar, Alok Bal, Rajiba Lochan Pani, Prasanta Shaw, Usmita Sahu, Tanmoy Samanta, Debraj Goswami, Mahula Ghosh, have also produced equally captivating works in much smaller canvases than what comprises their usual oeuvre. While most have stuck to their broader thematic loyalties, they have successfully done so, on scales much smaller. This has obviously heightened the sense of detailing and meticulousness and has thereby elevated their art to hitherto un-scaled heights of precision, finesse and versatility.

This innovative show contains immense possibilities for a most vibrant revival of miniature art, not just in the subcontinent, but the whole of the global south. With The Lahore Art College in Pakistan, among many others, continually ensuring the thriving bloom of this art form, this time seems to be perfectly conducive for a resurgence of this largely-neglected school of art.