Such was the art and persona of Hungarian-Indian painter Amrita Sher-Gil, that even after 80 years of her death she remains a fascinating subject for many. And while much has been written about her art, not many know about her relationship and marriage to Victor Egan, who was also her first cousin. Now, a new book titled 'Amrita & Victor' by journalist-author Ashwini Bhatnagar sheds light on this.
Bhatnagar's new book 'Amrita & Victor' was launched by His Excellency Mr.Istvan Szabo- Ambassador of Hungary to India, Dr. Mariann Erdő- Director & Cultural Counsellor at Hungarian Cultural Centre Delhi, and art historian Dr. Alka Pande at the Embassy of Hungary Residence in New Delhi on June 9, 2023.
Talking at book launch, Mr Szabo spoke about Amrita Sher-Gil and her huge contributions to the world of art. "Amrita Sher-Gil was born in Hungary to a Hungarian mother and an Indian father, and so both Hungary and India played an important role in her life.... She was a great artist, painter, and a pioneer of modern Indian art. She influenced many generations of Indian artists. While she died very early-- at the age of 28 in 1941-- but the legacy and heritage she left behind is very remarkable. Because of of her early death she couldn't see the diplomatic relations which were established between independent India and Hungary in 1948; it was a great event. But I think that she was an excellent Ambassador of Hungary to India at that time, and same time she was an excellent Ambassador for India to Hungary. Most importantly, she was an Ambassador of art of her time," he said at the event.
The book launch was followed by an interesting discussion between the author and Dr Pande on Amrita Sher-Gil, her unconventional life and art.
In 'Amrita & Victor', Bhatnagar explores the love and passion between Amrita Sher-Gil and Victor Egan, their unconventional relationship which contradicted societal rules, and how it shaped Amrita’s art. This is a beautiful love story, rather than a biography of her art. During the discussion, Bhatnagar said that his book is about the choices made by Amrita and Victor and their search for identity. It also highlights Amrita's experiments between Western and Indian cultures and lifestyles, in order to find her self and her art as a professional painter.
The event ended on a high note with a beautiful dramatized reading and performance by Santanu Bose, Prerna Joshi and their teams from The National School of Drama.
'Amrita & Victor' by Ashwini Bhatnagar is published by Fingerprint! Publishing.
