Devajyoti Ray

Realism or realist art refers to the art that tries to imitate nature in its exactness. Realist art has two dimensions. In technique, it refers to the depiction of the subject matter in exact accurateness and in requisite proportions. In theme, it refers to the depiction of subjects in their true context.

In the west the Realist Art movement had started as a reaction to the Classical and the Romantic schools of art in the early 19th century and later it gave birth to the impressionist school of Art Seen in that context no Indian Artist till date can truly be called realist. In the context of India, Realism in art refers only to the use of realist technique. And even such techniques have always been imported from the west. In Ancient India, the Greeks were the first to bring in realist influence as can bee seen in the Mauryan, Gandhar or Mathura Arts of 2nd century BC.

Gandhar Sculpture

With passing of time Indian Artists gradually moved away from such styles till the coming of the Company School artists in early 19th century. The objective of the Company artists was to capture the Indian lives in photographic details. With the patronage of the colonial government this style spread everywhere and many painters of the 19th century India were deeply influence by this style of Art.

Company School Art

Raja Ravi Verma

 In post-independence, era no artist has ever been truly realist though the techniques of realism has been used by many artists like artists like Anjolie Ela Menon, Yusuf Arakkal, Bikash Bhattacharya, Devajyoti Ray, Sunil Das, Shibu Natesan, Sanjay Bhattacharya and Dibyendu Bhadra. Among them the best known in the use of realist technique are probably Bikash Bhattacharya and his disciple Sanjay Bhattacharya.

Sanjay Bhattacharya