History
The Progressive Artists' Group was formed by Francis Newton Souza and S. H. Raza. M. F. Husain and Manishi Dey were early members, others associated with the group included S. K. Bakre, Akbar Padamsee, Ram Kumar and Tyeb Mehta.
The group wished to break with the revivalist nationalism established by the Bengal school of art and to encourage an Indian avant-garde, engaged at an international level. Their intention was to "paint with absolute freedom for content and technique, almost anarchic, save that we are governed by one or two sound elemental and eternal laws, of aesthetic order, plastic co-ordination and colour composition."
In 1950, Vasudeo S. Gaitonde, Krishen Khanna and Mohan Samant joined the Group, following the departure from India of the two main founders Souza and Raza. Bakre also left the group. The group disbanded in 1956.
European modernism was the most distinctive influence on the group, but its members worked in dramatically different styles, from the Expressionism of Souza to the pure abstraction of Gaitonde. Specific Indian imagery and landscapes were also adopted, particularly by Metha and Husain.
Read more about this topic: Bombay Progressive Artists' Group
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