Amrita Sher Age, Height, Family, Career, Net Worth, Lifestyle & Facts

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Name Earned: Indian Frida Kahlo [1] The Indian Frida Kahlo

Profession: Painter

Famous Role(s)/Famous For: Being a pioneer of Indian modern art.

Date of Birth: 30 January 1913 (Thursday)

Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary

Age (at the time of death): 28 Years

Zodiac sign: Aquarius

Nationality: Hungarian-Indian

Hometown: Budapest, Hungary

Religion: She was baptised as a Roman Catholic. [2] Outlook India She considered herself an atheist. [3] The Print

Marriage Year: 1938

Marriage Place: Budapest

Age: 28 Years (At The Time Of Death)

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EDUCATION

School: • A Convent School in Shimla • Santa Annunziata, Florence, Italy • Académie de la Grande Chaumière, Paris

College/University: École des Beaux-Arts, Paris

Educational Qualification: Graduation in Arts from École des Beaux-Arts, Painting (1930-1934)

FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS

Marital Status (at the time of death): Married

Affairs/Boyfriends: • Boris Tazlitsky (French Artist) • John Walter Collins (Painter) • Edith Lang (Writer) • Yusuf Ali Khan (Engaged) • Marie Louise Chassany (Painter) • Malcolm Muggeridge (1935; English Journalist) • Victor Egan (Doctor) • Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (Rumoured; Former Prime Minister of India) • Badruddin Tyabji (Lawyer and Politician)

Husband/Spouse: Victor Egan

Parents: Father – Umrao Singh Sher-Gil Majithia (Scholar of Sanskrit and Persian) Mother – Marie Antoniette Gottesmann (Opera Singer)

Siblings: Brother – none Sister – Indira Sundaram (née (Shergil)

Husband: Victor Egan

OTHER INFORMATION

Last Work: An unfinished painting left by her prior to her death.

Date of Death: 5 December 1941 (Friday)

Place of Death: At her home in Lahore

Death Cause: The cause of her death is not certain. She is believed to have died from a failed attempt of abortion and subsequent peritonitis. Her mother accused her husband of having murdered her.

Political Inclination: She was a Congress sympathiser,

Address: 23 Sir Ganga Ram Mansions, Mall Road, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan

Hobbies: Reading and Playing Piano and Violin

Sexual Orientation: Bisexual [4] The Print

INTERESTING BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Amrita Sher-Gil, an illustrious Hungarian-Indian painter, is celebrated as one of the greatest avant-garde women of the 20th century and a pioneering force in modern Indian art. Her works, renowned for their emotional depth and vivid representation, have become the most valuable pieces created by women painters in India, earning her a permanent place in the annals of art history. Born to a Sikh aristocrat and a Hungarian Jewish opera singer, Amrita’s diverse heritage profoundly influenced her artistic journey. Her father, Umrao Singh Sher-Gil Majithia, was not only a scholar of Sanskrit and Persian but also a passionate photographer, while her mother, Marie Antoniette Gottesmann, came from an affluent bourgeois family in Hungary. Their union began in Lahore in 1912, where Marie accompanied Princess Bamba Sutherland, granddaughter of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, to India. Their marriage, however, faced turmoil as Marie struggled with her discontentment and ultimately took her own life in their Shimla home.

Amrita’s early life was steeped in creativity, nurtured by a family that recognized and fostered her talent. Her sister, Indira, later became the mother of well-known contemporary artist Vivan Sundaram, who authored “Amrita Sher-Gil: A Self-Portrait in Letters & Writings.” Encouraged by her uncle, Indologist Ervin Baktay, her artistic journey began at a young age; it was during his visit to Shimla in 1926 that he first recognized her potential and urged her to pursue art. With an early education in piano and violin, Amrita performed alongside her sister at the Gaiety Theatre in Shimla, showcasing her multifaceted talents. By the age of nine, she was already receiving professional art training under Major Whitmarsh and later Beven Pateman. Her independent spirit shone through when she declared herself an atheist, leading to her expulsion from convent school—a testament to her unconventional character.

In 1923, a pivotal moment occurred when she met an Italian sculptor, prompting her to travel to Italy the following year. Enrolled at the prestigious Santa Annunziata art school in Florence, her stay was short-lived, as she returned to India later that same year. Yet it was in Europe, particularly Paris, that her artistic identity flourished. At just 16, she studied at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière under the mentorship of Pierre Vaillant and Lucien Simon, later continuing her formal training at the École des Beaux-Arts from 1930 to 1934. Her experiences in Paris, surrounded by creative minds and inspired by masters like Paul Cézanne and Paul Gauguin, deeply influenced her work. In a reflective letter to her mother, she expressed her frustration with formal education, emphasizing her desire to maintain her individual artistic voice. Her early oeuvre showcased the Western styles of post-impressionism while also drawing from her Hungarian roots, establishing a distinctive blend that would evolve as she delved deeper into her Indian heritage.

The call of her homeland became irresistible, and by 1934, she returned to India, eager to explore her roots. This transition marked a significant evolution in her artistry, as she embraced themes from Indian culture, influenced by the Mughal and Pahari schools of painting. Her acclaimed works, such as the “South Indian trilogy” and “Three Girls,” garnered recognition and accolades, including a gold medal from the Bombay Art Society. Despite her remarkable talent, Sher-Gil faced challenges in gaining acceptance within the Indian art market, as her innovative style often went unappreciated in comparison to traditional artists. Nevertheless, her art became a powerful vehicle for expressing the lives and struggles of ordinary Indians. Even as she moved to the rural landscape of Saraya after her marriage to Dr. Victor Egan, her work continued to reflect the everyday experiences of village life. Tragically, her life was cut short in 1941 when she fell ill days before a major exhibition in Lahore, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire artists today. Recognized as a national treasure, her works are housed in esteemed galleries, and her artistic influence resonates in literature, film, and ongoing artistic endeavors in India and beyond.

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Note: All biographical information compiled from publicly available sources.