Amrita Sher-Gil
Painter and a founding figure of modern Indian art
- Lived
- 28 yrs
- 1913 – 1941
- Works listed
- 6
- Painting
- Honours
- 0
- Awards & distinctions
- Profile views
- 0
- 0 followers
Amrita Sher-Gil was a Hungarian-Indian painter whose work, made in a short career before her death at 28, is considered among the most important in modern Indian art. Her paintings are designated National Art Treasures by the Government of India.
Biography
Early life
Amrita Sher-Gil spent her early childhood in Budapest and moved with her family to Shimla in 1921. Her uncle, the Indologist Ervin Baktay, encouraged her to paint models from life. She began painting seriously as a child and studied art in Florence before going to Paris.
Paris
The daughter of a Sikh aristocrat and scholar, Umrao Singh Sher-Gil, and a Hungarian-Jewish singer, she grew up between Budapest, Shimla and Paris. She trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and in 1933 her painting Young Girls won a gold medal at the Paris Salon, which made her an associate of the Grand Salon — its youngest member and the only Asian.
India
Returning to India in 1934, she turned to Indian life and the art of Ajanta and Mughal miniatures, painting works such as Three Girls (1935), Bride’s Toilet and her South Indian trilogy (1937), depicting women with quiet melancholy. She died in Lahore in December 1941, aged 28. In 1976 the Archaeological Survey of India declared her work a National Art Treasure.
Style
Sher-Gil combined the post-impressionism she learned in Paris — the influence of Gauguin and Cézanne is often noted — with the flattened colour and composition of Indian miniatures and the Ajanta frescoes. Her figures, frequently women, are painted with sombre dignity and a sense of isolation.
Life and death
She married her Hungarian cousin, the doctor Victor Egan, in 1938 and lived for a time in Saraya, Uttar Pradesh, before moving to Lahore in 1941, where she was preparing her first major solo exhibition. She fell ill and died there on 5 December 1941, aged 28; the cause remains debated. Her works now command some of the highest prices for Indian art, and most are held by the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi.
Timeline
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1913
Born in Budapest, Hungary
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1929
Enrols at the École des Beaux-Arts, Paris
-
1933
Gold medal at the Paris Salon
For Young Girls.
-
1934
Returns to India
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1937
South Indian trilogy
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1938
Marries Victor Egan
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1941
Dies in Lahore
Aged 28.
-
1976
Declared a National Art Treasure artist
Archaeological Survey of India.
-
1941
Died, aged 28
Notable works
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1932
Young Girls Painting
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1935
Three Girls Painting
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1937
Bride’s Toilet Painting
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1934
Self-Portrait as a Tahitian Painting
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1937
South Indian Villagers Going to Market Painting
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1937
The Story Teller Painting
Did you know?
-
1
She was the youngest member, and only Asian associate, of the Paris Grand Salon.
-
2
She died at 28, before her first major solo show.
-
3
Most of her works are held by the National Gallery of Modern Art in Delhi.
Gallery
Frequently asked
Who is Amrita Sher-Gil?
Amrita Sher-Gil was a Hungarian-Indian painter whose work, made in a short career before her death at 28, is considered among the most important in modern Indian art. Her paintings are designated National Art Treasures by the Government of India.
When did Amrita Sher-Gil die?
Amrita Sher-Gil died on 5 December 1941 at the age of 28.
Where is Amrita Sher-Gil from?
Amrita Sher-Gil was born in Budapest, Hungary.
What is Amrita Sher-Gil known for?
Amrita Sher-Gil is best known for Three Girls, Bride’s Toilet, the South Indian trilogy.
Who is Amrita Sher-Gil married to?
Spouse: Victor Egan (m. 1938).
References
- Amrita Sher-Gil — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 26 October 2026.
- Amrita Sher-Gil — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 26 October 2026.
- Amrita Sher-Gil — Invaluable artist page. Invaluable. Retrieved 26 October 2026.
- Amrita Sher-Gil — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 26 October 2026.
- Amrita Sher-Gil (Q150312) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 26 October 2026.
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editors; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal
- First published 26 October 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Amrita Sher-Gil.” TrackFame, last updated 26 October 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/amrita-sher-gil
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