National Art Gallery, Chennai

The National Art Gallery[1] situated in Egmore, Chennai, is one of the oldest art galleries in India. It is located in the Government Museum Complex on Pantheon Road, Egmore, which also houses the Government Museum and the Connemara Public Library. Constructed with red stones sourced from Satyavedu in Andhra Pradesh, the Gallery was built in 1906 in Indo-Sarsenic architecture and houses paintings from Thanjavur, Rajasthan, Kangra and Deccan areas, as well as sandalwood sculptures.[2] The Gallery has remained closed since 2002, as part of the structure suffered damage.[2]

National Art Gallery (Chennai)

History

The National Art Gallery was built during the celebration of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in Indo-Saracenic[3] style, designed by architect Henry Irwin. The Gallery has been identified as a Heritage site by the CMDA.[4][5]

As of 2002 the gallery has been closed for tourists, due to several building flaws and structural instability, which triggered severe criticism from art critics.[6][7][8][9]

Features

The gallery contains several Mugul paintings and rare works of Raja Ravi Varma.[10] It also has various Tanjore Paintings.[11] Portraits of various British officers such as Lord Connemara and Lord William Bentinck are also present.[12] The art gallery also included numerous miniature paintings depicting court and battle scenes.

Restoration

In 2013, the Gallery was set for a major face lift with Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa allocating ₹ 110 million for repairs and forming an expert committee for its restoration.[2]

In 2019, renovation of the Gallery began at a cost of ₹ 110 million. After renovation, it will have 200 unique exhibits on display, including paintings of Ravi Varma, sandalwood artefacts, ivory objects, miniature artefacts, Tanjore paintings, Rajput paintings and traditional paintings from across India.[13]

See also

References
  1. "national art gallery". wikimapia. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
  2. "Rs. 11 crore to restore National Art Gallery in Tamil Nadu". NDTV.com. 19 October 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  3. J.Jeyaraj, George. "Indo Saracenic Architecture in Chennai" (PDF). CMDA. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  4. "Art Museum". chennaimuseum. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  5. "heritage buildings" (PDF). CMDA. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  6. liffy thomas (2 February 2012). "Closed to tourists, exposed to risk". The Hindu. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  7. A. Srivathsan. "100-year-old art gallery is a picture of neglect". The Hindu. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  8. s.muthia. "The shame of a closed gallery". The Hindu. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  9. "The National Art Gallery and the Government Museum". The Hindu. 28 November 2009. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  10. "ravi varma paintings". Chennai Museum. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  11. "Tanjore paintings". Chennai Museum. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  12. "British Portraits". Chennai Museum. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  13. T. K. Rohit. "Chennai's National Art Gallery to be open to the public in 3 months". The Hindu. Chennai: Kasturi & Sons. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
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