N R Sardesai

N. R. Sardesai was born in 1885 in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra. After finishing his early education in Ratnagiri, he joined the Sir J.J. School of Art, Mumbai, in 1906. In 1909, he passed the Drawing Teacher Examination, and in 1915, he served a short stint as an art teacher at his alma mater. Sardesai was immensely skilled with figurative painting, particularly formal portraiture. He was famous for his acute observation of the details of form and figure, his understanding of light falling on various forms, and the accuracy of drawing. The artist also mastered various media during his career, including watercolour, pencil, crayon, charcoal, oil and powdered pigment. His works were known for their unpretentious realism that was able to capture ordinariness as well as greatness. His oil paintings of his widow sister ‘Clad in Red Sari’ and ‘Muslim Fakir Praying with Spread Hands in front of Taj Mahal’ are renowned for their expressiveness. The artist’s paintings have been exhibited at various locations all over India, and he has been honoured with several awards and medals for them. Sardesai was also awarded the prestigious Gold Medal from the Bombay Art Society for his ‘Portrait of an Old Man’ in 1929. Sardesai passed away in 1954

His exhibit with us is a water color on paper.