Between Two Worlds: The Art & Life of Amrita Sher-Gil

by Meera Sriram, Ruchi Bakshi Sharma (Illustrator)

Overview

Amrita Sher-Gil was always making art—as a little girl in Budapest, as a young woman in Northern India, and as an art student in Paris, she filled up notebooks with sketches and drawings—but what kind of artist would she grow up to be? Amrita was rebellious, brave, curious, and bold in her short life and in her paintings, and she became an important figure in the 20th century modern art movement.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781734225945
Publisher:	Penny Candy Books
Publication date:	09/21/2021
Series:	Amazing Women , #3
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	1,151,841
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	790L (what's this?)
Age Range:	7 - 11 Years

Editorial Reviews

2021-09-29
Born to a Hungarian mother and an Indian father, Amrita Sher-Gil spent her early childhood in her mother’s homeland, creating fanciful art inspired by the world around her.

When she was 8, the family moved to India, where her art matured considerably. Noticing her talent, her family insisted that she take formal lessons to hone her craft. At first, Amrita obliged, but soon she chafed against the restrictions and the structure, preferring to rely instead on her own instincts and imagination. Following her own path, Amrita created art that blended Eastern and Western traditions and that celebrated womanhood. Eventually, her family returned to Europe specifically so Amrita could study art in Paris. Although she learned a great deal, after a few years, Amrita found Europe stifling, and she returned to India. There, her practice blossomed as she pioneered new visual traditions, pushing the boundaries of the Western-centric artistic world. Unfortunately, her genius was cut short by her untimely death at the age of 28. This lyrical picture-book biography not only celebrates Sher-Gil’s rebellious brilliance, it also frankly examines the challenges and opportunities presented by having a mixed heritage. While much of Sher-Gil’s life and work involved highly adult themes, this book addresses these issues in a child-friendly manner without hiding the truth. The innovative illustrations include more than a few touches of surrealism to evoke the inner life of the artist and present at least one topless female figure, reflecting Sher-Gil’s style.

A lyrical picture-book introduction to the life of a feminist artistic genius. (biographical note, bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 7-11)

Kirkus Reviews