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9 EARLY BOOKS AND JOURNALS ON
AMRITA SHER-GIL
AMRITA SHER-GIL
By Karl Khandalavala
BOMBAY: New Book Co.
1944 [Back of title-page says 1945]
Pp 71 + frontispiece portrait + 20 full-page tipped-in colour
plates at the end + 3 tipped-in colour plates in the text + 5
tipped-in monochromeplates in the text + 8 monochrome
plates at the end and numerous line drawings in the text
including some full page.
Size: 15 x 11 inches
The first full-dress study of Sher-Gil's life and work by her
close friend, published four years after her death and carrying
extracts from many letters between the two.
The monograph AMRITA SHER-GIL by her close friend
KARL KHANDALAVALA [who chose to visit her in the
even-now remote town of Saraya close to the Indo-Nepal
border and corresponded with her in extenso], published in
Bombay four years after her death is a tribute offered with
touching affection. The great scholar rues in the introduction
that he wished he could reproduce more of her works in
colour but for the heavy war-time expense of doing so. The
book was issued at the then princely price of Rs 30, which
was still low and was underwritten by the publisher. "The
publication of this volume at Rs 30 has been made possible
by an arrangement for which I must express mygratitude to
my dear friend Kaikhushroo Taraporevala of the New Book
Co.," he says in the book, adding that "in the normal course
of business it would not have been possible to price it at less
than Rs 90...But for Mr Fram Poonawala of the CommercialArt
Engravers, Bombay, who made the excellent colour blocks
and Mr Saddar of Vakil and Sons who carried out the colour
printing, the work would have had to be abandoned till the
return of normal times. Numerous alternations and proofs
had repeatedlyto be made to ensure accuracy and secure that
brilliance of colour which dominated the artist's work. I can
only express my thanks to them by saying that it was a labour
of personal friendship towards me and not a labour for
profit. The colour plates have achieved as high a percentage
of accuracy as was possible under war time condition, but
what is more important they have captured the spirit of the
artist's work and I am indebted to Mr George Menezies the
colour printer of Vakil and Sons forthe justice he has done
to the colour blocks. It was not possible to print the colour
plates on a matt art paper and hence a high grade glazed
paper had to be used and the sheen softened by mounting
against a creamish background." So much for the printing
travails under wartime economy for the sake of fidelity to
original works of art and a friendship which is now universally
acknowledged.
AMRITA SHER-GIL: ICON - Works and Memorabilia from her
Last Years
Catalogue of an exhibition held in Mumbai in 2004
Bound in half leather as issued, with copies of Sher-Gil's
photographs pasted on black sheets like in an album.
No pagination but pp. 82.
Size: 10 x 6.5 inches
AMRITA SHER-GIL
Marg Magazine's special issue for March 1972
pp. 72
Numerous colour and b&w illustrations on art paper
Essays by Vivan Sundaram, Geeta Kapur,Gulam Mohammed
Sheikh and K. G. Subramanyan and with chronology
Size: 12 x 9.5 inches
AMRITA SHER-GIL
By Mulk Raj Anand
New Delhi: National Gallery of Modern Art
1988
pp. 87 [last 13 pages in Hindi]
34 full-page plates in colour, 3 b&w sketches
Softcover
SHER-GIL
New Delhi: Lalit Kala Akademi, 1965
7-page essay by Baldoon Dhingra + 25 plates
Stiff cards with worn dustjacket
7 x 5 inches
PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST [Amrita Sher-Gil] by Mulk Raj
Anand
1-page essay with 4 full-page colour plates in complete issue
of LILLIPUT for August 1947
Amrits Sher-Gil by H. Goetz
2-page essay with 5 illustrations in complete issue of THE
STUDIO for August 1955
Amrita Sher-Gil by KarlKhandalavala
2-page essay with 1 illustration + 1 full-page painting + 1
tipped-in plate in complete issue of INDIAN ANNUAL for
1948
Also tipped-in plates of works by RAZA, JAMINI ROY and W.
LANGHAMMER
Complete issue of L'ILLUSTRATION, aFrench magazine, for
June 1938 with full-length sepia portrait of Amrita Sher-Gil
on the cover and 2 photographs inside, one showing her
painting.
Rs 2,50,000-Rs 3,00,000
$3,850-$4,620