The National Art Gallery (Chennai)

Coordinates: 13°4′10″N 80°15′21″E / 13.06944°N 80.25583°E / 13.06944; 80.25583 (National Art Gallery)

National Art Gallery (Chennai)

The National Art Gallery[1] situated in Egmore, Chennai, is one of the oldest art galleries in India. Constructed with red stones sourced from Satyavedu in Andhra Pradesh, the Gallery was built in 1906 in Indo-Sarsenic architecture and houses paintings from Thanjavur, Rajasthan, Kangra and Deccan areas, as well as sandalwood sculptures.[2] The Gallery has remained closed since 2002, as part of the structure suffered damage.[2]

History

The National Art Gallery was built during the celebration of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in Indo-Saracenic[3] style, designed by architect Henry Irwin. The Gallery has been identified as a Heritage site by the CMDA.[4][5]

As of 2002 the gallery has been closed for tourists, due to several building flaws and structural instability, which triggered severe criticism from art critics.[6][7][8][9] However, several proposals for renovation are underway.

Features

The gallery contains several Mugul paintings and rare works of Raja Ravi Varma.[10] It also has various Tanjore Paintings.[11] Portraits of various British officers such as Lord Connemara and Lord William Bentinck are also present.[12] The art gallery also included numerous miniature paintings depicting court and battle scenes.

Restoration

In 2013, the Gallery was set for a major face lift with Chief Minister Dr. J.Jayalalithaa allocating ₹ 110 million for repairs and forming an expert committee for its restoration.[2]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "national art gallery". wikimapia. Retrieved 7-9-2012. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  2. 1 2 3 "Rs. 11 crore to restore National Art Gallery in Tamil Nadu". NDTV.com. 19 October 2013. Retrieved 20 Oct 2013.
  3. ↑ J.Jeyaraj, George. "Indo Saracenic Architecture in Chennai" (PDF). CMDA. Retrieved 7-6-2012. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  4. ↑ "Art Museum". chennaimuseum. Retrieved 7-6-2012. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  5. ↑ "heritage buildings" (PDF). CMDA. Retrieved 7-6-2012. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  6. ↑ liffy thomas (2012-02-02). "Closed to tourists, exposed to risk". The Hindu. Retrieved 7-6-2012. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  7. ↑ A. Srivathsan. "100-year-old art gallery is a picture of neglect". The Hindu. Retrieved 7-6-2012. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  8. ↑ s.muthia. "The shame of a closed gallery". The Hindu. Retrieved 7-6-2012. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  9. ↑ "The National Art Gallery and the Government Museum". The Hindu. 2009-11-28. Retrieved 7-6-2012. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  10. ↑ "ravi varma paintings". Chennai Museum. Retrieved 7-6-2012. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  11. ↑ "Tanjore paintings". Chennai Museum. Retrieved 7-6-2012. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  12. ↑ "British Portraits". Chennai Museum. Retrieved 7-6-2012. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
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