Ram Gopal Vijayvargiya

Born in 1905 in Rajasthan, Vijayvargiya graduated from the Maharaja School of Art and moved to Calcutta, founding inspiration from the Bengal School style under the tutelage of Shailendra Nath De. His works are heavily inspired from literary works by Kalidas and Omar Khayyam as well as Indian legends which were exhibited for the first time in 1928. Magazines of that time such as Modern Review and Vishal Bharat often showcased his works as plates. An artistic journey lasting several decades and encompassing thousands of work which are part of various collection all over the world, his work never display an inclination towards any particular type of school and had a very individual sense of perception and vision. They very much centred on women, ranging from spiritual to erotic all characterised by their excellent execution with graceful and accentuated lines giving suppleness to the paintings.

He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1984, the Lalit Kala Akademi Fellowship in 1988 and several other state and national recognitions. The master artist passed away in 2003 leaving behind a plethora of work that brims with cultural significance.