vi. Modern Indian Sculptures
- The onset of modernism in Indian sculpture began in the early 20th century, marked by the adoption of Western academic art traditions. This period saw a shift in the purpose and audience of sculpture, with artists creating works that appealed to the tastes and expectations of the growing upper and middle classes.
- The British colonial presence played a significant role in introducing European artistic influences, sparking a transformation in Indian sculptural practices. The era before independence witnessed a rise in European academic realism, and Indian sculptors began experimenting with intense and exaggerated realism, reflecting a blend of traditional themes with modern techniques and sensibilities.
- With the influx of European sculptures and the establishment of art schools, sculpture in India took a new direction. This resulted in what we may call Indo-European style, tackling Indian subjects in European sculptural idiom or making European style of sculptures with Indian sensibilities.
Prominent modern Indian sculptors include artists such as D. P Roy Chowdhury, Fanindranath Bose, V. P. Karmarkar and Ram Kinker Baij.