In her own words

Amrita Sher-Gil has been many things to many people—the prodigious painter; the beautiful muse; the scandalous society woman and the tragic heroine. For someone who revolutionised Indian art in both its form as well as the subjects that it could portray, her genius as a painter is all too often overlooked.

This lovingly-crafted anthology of letters and paintings, put together by her nephew, artist and scholar Vivan Sundaram, is the first body of work that gives Amrita Sher-Gil back her voice. What emerges is a young woman of the world yearning for form, meaning and salvation in her work.

Loosely grouped into two volumes containing letters, notebook jottings, scribbles and paintings of her short 28 years, it is a fascinating glimpse into her life and times, peopled by legends of the art world and society. Even after all this disclosure, Sher-Gil herself remains the enigma that she was. But finally, we have a reasonably good view of the legendary artist as a three-dimensional human being.

Amrita Sher-Gil: A Self-Portrait in Letters and Writings; introduced, annotated and edited by Vivan Sundaram is available in two volumes from Tulika Books for Rs 5,750