What do you think?
Rate this book
Amrita Sher-Gil: A Life
New study of an important Sikh/Indian artist, 1913-1941. a careful biography, study of her art, life and tragic death of a great Indian contributor to world at. many photos, some color illus. best work available on Sher-Gil
230 pages, Hardcover
First published April 4, 2006
38 people are currently reading
280 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
Read
December 7, 2025The life of the artist can sweeten the pleasure of the art. I’m not certain Amrita would enjoy this sentiment (i.e. she might prefer her art to stand on its own accord, sans her personality), but it applies to her. To know of her is to search for signs on her canvas, to borrow from my other favorite Amrita, some rooh ki jhalak that explains the brilliance of her short lived life. Her art, her freedom, her wajood springs hope. Anyone, but especially a young brown woman artist(?) will feel an affinity with Amrita.
This biography is uneven at times - I wish there was a more clear image of the complicated dynamics of the Sher-Gil family. The author makes an effort and yet I don’t quite get a clear portrait of the mad mother, distant father, and jealous sister. Perhaps these relationships can be better understood by the extensive letters they passed back and forth to each other.
Yet for all the gaps in writing, my reading experience is forever memorable having finished this book in beloved Amritsar - not too far from Amrita’s Saraya. In life, as in death, her presence is felt.
This biography is uneven at times - I wish there was a more clear image of the complicated dynamics of the Sher-Gil family. The author makes an effort and yet I don’t quite get a clear portrait of the mad mother, distant father, and jealous sister. Perhaps these relationships can be better understood by the extensive letters they passed back and forth to each other.
Yet for all the gaps in writing, my reading experience is forever memorable having finished this book in beloved Amritsar - not too far from Amrita’s Saraya. In life, as in death, her presence is felt.
May 18, 2020
"Amrita Sher-Gil: A Life" is not a memoir, it is more 'like' an academic thesis on a personage who died a long time back (1941) at the age of 29 years. With the limited primary sources at hand, the work is replete with sometimes runaway, most of the time suggestive, salacious and half-baked accounts culled from a variety of sources. In writing this, the author has laid bare a life-account that does not invoke in the reader admiration for this artist. It would have been better to have introduced Amrita Sher-Gil through just her art and a brief bio.
February 4, 2017
I was intrigued by her and her work when I first saw it at the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi when I visited in 2015. Her work speaks volumes and is highly intuitive & richly engaging. The book helps you understand her world and how she came to produce her work and the people & influences of her life. She was indeed a one of a kind woman. Someone I'll probably admire & learn from in my own life.
August 16, 2025
Yashodara Dalmia's "Amrita Sher-Gil: A Life"stands as the definitive biography of India's revolutionary modern artist. This book is exceptional not only for its thorough research and remarkable clarity, but also for its profound exploration of the human experience behind the genius.
Dalmia meticulously reconstructs Sher-Gil's intense life (1913-1941), moving beyond a simple chronology to deliver a deeply resonant portrait. The depth of research is evident throughout, drawing on letters, diaries, and rigorous analysis, but it's Dalmia's ability to synthesize this into an accessible narrative that truly shines.
However, this biography is particularly important because it doesn't shy away from the human cost of genius.Dalmia gives equal weight to Sher-Gil's ferocious demeanour and the immense stress that accompanied them. We see:
~ Her relentless drive for recognition and artistic perfection.
~ The personal and financial pressures she navigated.
~ The emotional and psychological turmoil stemming from her complex relationships, cultural duality, and the sheer intensity of her creative process.
~ The weight of her ambition against the constraints of her time and environment.
Why is this book essential? It offers the most complete comprehension of Amrita Sher-Gil. You understand not just her influences (Picasso, Matisse, Dostoevsky, architecture) and skill development, but crucially, the driving force of her ambition and the significant stress she endured. This humanizing complexity, masterfully presented through superb research and highly readable prose, makes "Amrita Sher-Gil: A Life" the indispensable cornerstone for understanding the artist, her era, and her enduring legacy.
Must read 👏👏🎭🎭📚
Dalmia meticulously reconstructs Sher-Gil's intense life (1913-1941), moving beyond a simple chronology to deliver a deeply resonant portrait. The depth of research is evident throughout, drawing on letters, diaries, and rigorous analysis, but it's Dalmia's ability to synthesize this into an accessible narrative that truly shines.
However, this biography is particularly important because it doesn't shy away from the human cost of genius.Dalmia gives equal weight to Sher-Gil's ferocious demeanour and the immense stress that accompanied them. We see:
~ Her relentless drive for recognition and artistic perfection.
~ The personal and financial pressures she navigated.
~ The emotional and psychological turmoil stemming from her complex relationships, cultural duality, and the sheer intensity of her creative process.
~ The weight of her ambition against the constraints of her time and environment.
Why is this book essential? It offers the most complete comprehension of Amrita Sher-Gil. You understand not just her influences (Picasso, Matisse, Dostoevsky, architecture) and skill development, but crucially, the driving force of her ambition and the significant stress she endured. This humanizing complexity, masterfully presented through superb research and highly readable prose, makes "Amrita Sher-Gil: A Life" the indispensable cornerstone for understanding the artist, her era, and her enduring legacy.
Must read 👏👏🎭🎭📚
March 11, 2025
'Also I am terribly fond of painting. I grow more and more fond of it, of painting itself if you know what I mean. '
A creed of simplification, who did not shy away from being vulnerable and from taking risks, overall an immensely humane person. Amrita struck a chord in my soul, first with her paintings then with her charismatic personality. Having lived through many changes that were reshaping the history and culture, she herself unknowingly transformed the modern art, bridged a gap in west and east with her brush and palettes.
Beautiful and utterly brilliant, Amrita lived life on her terms, scandalizing love affairs often staining the staid society of her times. Yet one of the foremost artists of the century and an eloquent fusion between the west and the east.
And ofcourse a token of appreciation to Dalmia for this moving narrative so eloquently presented.
Rest in peace dear Amrita, with your artistic creations you have obtained immortality. Forever embalmed in the stately corridors of National Museum of Modern Art, I share the privilege of being in close proximity to you. Always.
A creed of simplification, who did not shy away from being vulnerable and from taking risks, overall an immensely humane person. Amrita struck a chord in my soul, first with her paintings then with her charismatic personality. Having lived through many changes that were reshaping the history and culture, she herself unknowingly transformed the modern art, bridged a gap in west and east with her brush and palettes.
Beautiful and utterly brilliant, Amrita lived life on her terms, scandalizing love affairs often staining the staid society of her times. Yet one of the foremost artists of the century and an eloquent fusion between the west and the east.
And ofcourse a token of appreciation to Dalmia for this moving narrative so eloquently presented.
Rest in peace dear Amrita, with your artistic creations you have obtained immortality. Forever embalmed in the stately corridors of National Museum of Modern Art, I share the privilege of being in close proximity to you. Always.
September 29, 2020
The book has got good information about the artist Amrita Sher-Gil but fails to impress the reader with its shoddy compilation and un-necessary details of other artists .The description of her paintings is given without the painting shown with the description and you have to look for the described painting at the end of the book or the Google search.The information about Amrita Sher-Gil seems incomplete and there is irrelevant detailed information of other artists and persons which bores you because you are reading book about Amrita and not others.The compilation is unremarkable with some of the content at the beginning being repeated at the end again.
I had bought the book out of curiosity about this avant-garde painter and started reading with great enthusiasm but I regret to say that I ended the book with great disappointment.It certainly could have been better written as a tribute to the great Indian woman painter of all times.
I had bought the book out of curiosity about this avant-garde painter and started reading with great enthusiasm but I regret to say that I ended the book with great disappointment.It certainly could have been better written as a tribute to the great Indian woman painter of all times.
July 27, 2025
As I write this, “Dil Jalane Ki Baat Karte Ho” by Farida Khanum plays in the background, and somehow, it feels just right. I read Amrita Sher-Gil by Yashodhara Dalmia sometime last year, and it has stayed with me ever since. The life it traces, bold, brilliant, and heartbreakingly brief, left a quiet imprint on my soul.
Amrita worked relentlessly, lived unapologetically, and carried a confidence that feels almost radical even today. This book doesn’t just tell her story. It lets you sit with it, reflect on it, and, if you’re lucky, feel some of its fire.
Amrita worked relentlessly, lived unapologetically, and carried a confidence that feels almost radical even today. This book doesn’t just tell her story. It lets you sit with it, reflect on it, and, if you’re lucky, feel some of its fire.
October 25, 2024
No sabia res d’Amrita Sher-Gil, pintora dels anys 30 i 40. El pare era un noble sikh, la mare una cantant hongaresa. Ella, una dona lliure que malauradament va morir jove. Llibre ben explicat, aportant context històric i ben documentat.
October 19, 2020
Brilliant
April 16, 2021
Good for a casual reader but lacking the detail and analysis that a close reader or a student of modernism may want. Entertaining nonetheless due to the life being documented.
January 28, 2023
review tba
April 24, 2020
I like the book more for the fact on whom it is based than the writing part itself...Amrita Shergil. As far as the book is concerned, it will be nice to know about her through this book, if you don't know about her at all! Given the magnificent personality of the person involved itself, I just wish the book was written in a more elaborate or magnificent way rather than just creating the chronicles of her life event.
Anyway coming back to Amrita Shergil, I just can't get enough of her after reading the book. She has literally spoilt rest of the women for me. So I will review more in context of her rather than the writing style of the book itself.
.
.
A feminist who dared to enter the profession of art, which predominantly belonged to men, Painting!!!! While women were still struggling for their rights for something as basic as education & marriage, she was forerunner in taking up the battle of what and how a woman would negotiate on professional front in early 20th century India.
.
.
On domestic front, she commanded not only whom she would marry (her first cousin) but also what that marriage would be like. An anti-natalist & someone who followed 'open marriage' philosophy. An idea that is inconceivable for most of the women even today.
.
.
Also around 1920s & 1930s, it was not uncommon for feminist women like her to experiment with unorthodox sexual adventures like lesbianism, unveiling nudity or to get themselves portrayed in pairs or groups of women, unlike their early depiction of invariably being tied to a man (father/husband). Rather, nude/group portraits became 'sign of liberating themselves from their obligatory roles as partners of men (daughters/beloved/wives) to embracing the philosophy of being individuals in themselves. A woman no longer wanted to be associated to a man (husband/beloved) to validate her femininity or sexuality.
.
.
Amrita Shergil, India's Frida Kahlo, was bold even in her work, challenging the ritualistic styles of Indian painting, by bringing some 'western' influence from her training in Paris. After settling in India, she was heavily inspired by miniatures styles of Rajput & Pahari as well as magnanimity of Ajanta paintings which she skilfully blended with post-impressionism of Western style.
.
.
Most importantly, she was mesmerised by the grace of saree & completely abandoned her western outfits to embrace the bindi, tightly held mid parted bun, sparkling Tibetan jewellery with playful eastern colours of yellow, golden, red, greens etc in her six yards.
.
.
As a feminist, she liberated herself in terms of education, profession, domestic life and even her sexual orientation. Liberated yet very much rooted in her ideologies/philosophies, around both, her personal as well as professional life. She was a paradox that was not hypocritical, which made her even more delectable.
Anyway coming back to Amrita Shergil, I just can't get enough of her after reading the book. She has literally spoilt rest of the women for me. So I will review more in context of her rather than the writing style of the book itself.
.
.
A feminist who dared to enter the profession of art, which predominantly belonged to men, Painting!!!! While women were still struggling for their rights for something as basic as education & marriage, she was forerunner in taking up the battle of what and how a woman would negotiate on professional front in early 20th century India.
.
.
On domestic front, she commanded not only whom she would marry (her first cousin) but also what that marriage would be like. An anti-natalist & someone who followed 'open marriage' philosophy. An idea that is inconceivable for most of the women even today.
.
.
Also around 1920s & 1930s, it was not uncommon for feminist women like her to experiment with unorthodox sexual adventures like lesbianism, unveiling nudity or to get themselves portrayed in pairs or groups of women, unlike their early depiction of invariably being tied to a man (father/husband). Rather, nude/group portraits became 'sign of liberating themselves from their obligatory roles as partners of men (daughters/beloved/wives) to embracing the philosophy of being individuals in themselves. A woman no longer wanted to be associated to a man (husband/beloved) to validate her femininity or sexuality.
.
.
Amrita Shergil, India's Frida Kahlo, was bold even in her work, challenging the ritualistic styles of Indian painting, by bringing some 'western' influence from her training in Paris. After settling in India, she was heavily inspired by miniatures styles of Rajput & Pahari as well as magnanimity of Ajanta paintings which she skilfully blended with post-impressionism of Western style.
.
.
Most importantly, she was mesmerised by the grace of saree & completely abandoned her western outfits to embrace the bindi, tightly held mid parted bun, sparkling Tibetan jewellery with playful eastern colours of yellow, golden, red, greens etc in her six yards.
.
.
As a feminist, she liberated herself in terms of education, profession, domestic life and even her sexual orientation. Liberated yet very much rooted in her ideologies/philosophies, around both, her personal as well as professional life. She was a paradox that was not hypocritical, which made her even more delectable.
September 14, 2015
Lots of facts stuck together, in chronological order. A lot of times the author detours to tell us a brief history of any actors that appear in the text, no matter how insignificant their role be. I wish there were more attempts to piece together her personality. The author does try but comes across as doting most of the times. Each a flaw in Amrita's disposition is uncovered, a generic quality is quickly thrust upon it.
It was interesting to learn that Amrita, who is often garlanded with adjectives of subversion, wrote fussy letters to her family cribbing about not receiving a substantial allowance from them to buoy her marital finances. She never veered far from the family or the society. All her travels were with companions and her most of the attention for her work, channelled through people in her social circle. It is still an enjoyable read, owing perhaps to the choice of the subject.
It was interesting to learn that Amrita, who is often garlanded with adjectives of subversion, wrote fussy letters to her family cribbing about not receiving a substantial allowance from them to buoy her marital finances. She never veered far from the family or the society. All her travels were with companions and her most of the attention for her work, channelled through people in her social circle. It is still an enjoyable read, owing perhaps to the choice of the subject.
August 11, 2015
It is always a different experience to read about someone's life. It is like you are transported to that era and imagine yourself literally walking along the protagonist, in whatever scene is being described. As revolutionary her artwork was, Amrita Sher-Gill was a free mind and any cage wasn't large enough to contain her. After finishing this book, one realises how countless treasures are lost to negligence and sorrow. A woman who knew herself best in not knowing anything but wandering into life like an explorer, she was an artist in the truest of the meanings. Looked first as a woman than an artist and widely misunderstood, I would recommend this peek into her life, although more factual than descriptive, to anyone who wants to understand the inlfuences on her art and what was she possibly trying to convey.
Currently reading
September 30, 2013lots of information, a bit too much conjecture but enjoying reading about this very unusual life. making me think about the wider world of the period. would like to get hold of her letters and diaries and to see the work itself.
March 17, 2011
I have finally finished this book. I found her life interesting but somehow I failed to get really passionate about the book.
September 2, 2015
This book is about a fascinating woman, but the writing is dull and doesn't do its subject justice.
January 26, 2015
loved this unusual woman...
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews