The National Gallery of Modern Art located in New Delhi is one of the premier art galleries in India. It is a four-story building with three permanent floors and a ground floor that changes per exhibition. Which at the time we went, was over the Salt March (also called Dandi March) that was led by Mohandas Gandhi in1930. In order to protest the salt tax implemented by the British Government. Since “next to air and water, salt is perhaps the greatest necessity of life” (Gandhi). The exhibit contained information, bronze statues, and even pencil/ pen sketches of Gandhi and of some of the key moments during the March.
Visiting the National Gallery of Modern Art was amazing, but also a bit misleading. The gallery did not contain a large selection of only modern art, but also depicted art pieces from different periods, showing how art has changed in India. There were a couple pieces that stood out to me, especially a painting titled “Two Elephants,” by Amrita Asher-Gil. She was an early 20th century Hungarian- Indian painter who died at the young age of 28. The reason the piece stood out to me was how demonic the portrayal of the elephants seemed to be. With tusks looking like fangs, and red eyes emphasized by a red background, it reminded me of how many people in Africa view elephants as pests, and not beautiful giants -- an impression I felt during my previous study abroad experience in Botswana. However, this is just my interpretation of the painting.
Richard K