Artists Profile
Pandit Sansar Chand Baru
(1902 – 1995)Pandit Sansar Chand Baru born in 1902 and died in 1995, the first modern painter from Jammu, fondly known as Master ji.
Sansar chand served as a court painter to Maharaja Hari Singh. Pandit Baru was also the first curator of Jammu’s Dogra Art Museum, a treasure trove of miniatures, and is credited with bridging the Pahari and Modern styles in art. As artist, he was comfortable in many formats and styles like Pahari miniature, Bengal School, portraits, landscapes and abstract.
Sansar Chand had keen interest in drawing initially and later he evolve as fine water colour artist. After completing his training at Sir Amar Singh Technical Institute opened by Maharaja Partap Singh, he joined as drawing master in Government Technical Institute, Kachhi Chhawni , Jammu .
His published essays on Pahari art and folk literature attracted the attention of some eminent international art critics. Together with Prof Lakshmi Narayan, Master Ji wrote a scholarly book ‘An Introduction to Folk Literature and Pahari Art’.