Amrita Sher - Gil

Until recently women painters have been given very short shrift by history.

Self Portrait of Amrita Sher Gil
National Gallery of Modern Art, New Dehli

When I was growing up there were only male artists my parents could point to as role models. "Paint me a picture like Rembrandt", my father said . No chance there. I'm much too light weight for that.
"You'd better not be like Van Gogh then", he said. "He cut off his ear."  Dad had never heard of Berthe Morrisot - well neither had I at that time.
So it's with great delight I discover female artists from the past who were painting during my parents life time. They were about, just not very noticable. In my weekend newspaper  there was an article about Amrita Sher Gil, not only a female artist, but Asian too. Her work is beautifully impressionist, on a par with Gaugan, and when you read her story, she died young, you realise what a fantastic , exotic life she lead, and so much of it was recorded on camera by her father.
Here is the article. Thank you Telegraph !