Amrita Sher-Gil in Assen

In the exhibition Amrita Sher-Gil – 'Europe is Picasso's, India is mine', you are introduced to Amrita Sher-Gil, the founder of modern Indian art. This is Sher-Gil's very first exhibition in the Netherlands. On view at the Drents Museum in Assen until September 20, 2026. A must-see for lovers of art from India. These artworks come from a museum in India and trace her entire short artistic life. 'Europe belongs to Picasso, Matisse, Braque, and many others. India is mine alone.' With these words, Amrita Sher-Gil (1913–1941) described her unique position in the art world. The exhibition at the Drents Museum features photographs and nearly fifty paintings and drawings by the Hungarian-Indian Amrita Sher-Gil (Budapest 1913 – Lahore 1941). She lived for only 28 years, but left behind an impressive and influential oeuvre in which modern European painting merges with Indian colors, themes, and stories. Her work is on display in Europe again for the first time in almost twenty years.

Young years

India was her father's country, Hungary her mother's. Amrita Sher-Gil was born in Budapest in 1913 and grew up between two cultures. From a young age, she showed herself to be creative, free-spirited, and independent. She took drawing and painting lessons and began pushing boundaries early on. For instance, in 1924, she briefly attended art school in Florence, where she was introduced to the Italian masters but was almost expelled for drawing nude portraits.

Paris

In 1929, Sher-Gil moved to Paris with her family to study at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière and later at the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts. There, she immersed herself in the work of modern artists such as Suzanne Valadon, Paul Cézanne, and Paul Gauguin, painting many self-portraits as well as friends, Parisian life, and still lifes. Her talent did not go unnoticed: in 1933, she won the gold medal at the Salon de Paris with the work *Young Women*. Moreover, she was appointed a member of this prestigious society—the youngest artist ever and the first with Asian roots. In Paris, she developed into a cosmopolitan painter who effortlessly connected different worlds.

India

In 1934, Amrita Sher-Gil returned to India, convinced that her destiny lay there. She built upon European painting traditions but enriched them with elements from traditional Indian art. She exchanged her European clothing for saris and traveled throughout the country. She found inspiration in, among other places, the cave paintings of Ajanta, Mughal miniatures, and daily life in markets and villages. Her color palette changed dramatically: bright reds, earthy browns, and warm ochres reflect the Indian light and landscape. In her work, she introduced a new, powerful image of womanhood and gave a voice to the poor and marginalized of India.

Unique exhibition

Amrita Sher-Gil – 'Europe is Picasso's, India is Mine' consists of paintings and drawings on loan from the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi, which holds the largest and most complete collection of her work. The exhibition showcases her development: from her Parisian period to the works in which she captures the power and beauty of daily life in India. Her paintings are considered national heritage and therefore rarely leave India. This exhibition offers a unique opportunity to view her masterpieces up close.

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Amrita Sher-Gil – 'Europe is Picasso's, India is mine', until September 20, 2026 at the Drents Museum (Assen):

https://drentsmuseum.nl/tentoonstellingen/amrita-sher-gil-europa-is-van-picasso-india-is-van-mij

Recent and older museum blogs: https://www.freestampmagazine.nl/tag/made-in-holland/