(29th April, 1915 - 1988)
Pran Krishna Pal was born in West Bengal on 29 April, 1915, he was a renowned artist and an important member of the Calcutta Group, formed after the Bengal Famine of 1943. Along with other members, Pal rejected the romanticism and lyricism that dominated Bengali art during that period. Instead, he painted works that expressed pain and suffering, reflecting the crisis of urban society. His early works were influenced by Mughal and Rajasthani painting styles. Later, he experimented with oil and tempera and was influenced by the ideals of the New Thoughters. In 1940, he was appointed as an artist at the Ashutosh Museum.
Pal's paintings are kept in important places such as, the National Gallery of Modern Art in Delhi, the Ashutosh Museum in Kolkata, the Patiala and Rampur State Galleries, and the Indian Embassy in Washington, USA. His ex-wife, the Countess of Wellington, also owned some of his paintings. He received the Indian Society’s ‘Norman Blunt Memorial Award’ during his student years. His works are part of collections in both India and abroad, with notable collectors including the Countess of Wellingdon and Lady Cassio.
Pran Krishna Pal passed away in 1988.
