More about National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi

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The National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi built in 1936 was once the residence of Man Singh II, Maharaja of Jaipur, which is just so fancy.

The building was designed by Sir fancypants Arthur Blomfield, whose biggest claim to fame was building the tallest wooden church in the world until 2003. You could say he was a big deal. So when the Maharaja of Jaipur was deciding on which architect was going to design his palace for him and his three (count ’em) three wives, it had to be him, what with his portfolio and everything. In 1954, the building was converted into a sick af museum, displaying works from 1857 to present.

Located right in the smack dab middle of Old Delhi (not a joke, just a section of New Delhi) the National Gallery of Modern Art’s neighbors are the India Gate, a national war memorial for the Indian soldiers who died in the First World War, the Vice President’s House, the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, and Delhi High Court. If you ever visit New Delhi, you can tour all of these sights in a car with block letters reading “TOURIST” in 1-foot-tall script so drivers know who to scare the most with their reckless driving.

The collection housed at the National Gallery of Modern Art is nothing short of stacked. They have 4,000 paintings, graphics and sculptures of modern artists from India and abroad. Artists such as Jamini Roy, Amrita Sher-Gil and Nicholas Roerich all have work in the gallery, but an arguably cooler part of the museum is dedicated to artists who rent out space to exhibit their work. This is both very unlike the elitist club that is museums everywhere else in the world and very cool.

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Here is what Wikipedia says about National Gallery of Modern Art


National Gallery of Modern Art, entrance signage

The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) is the premier art gallery under Ministry of Culture, Government of India. The main museum at Jaipur House in New Delhi was established on 29 March 1954 by the Government of India, with subsequent branches at Mumbai and Bangalore. Its collection of more than 17,000 works by 2000 plus artists includes artists such as Thomas Daniell, Raja Ravi Verma, Abanindranath Tagore, Rabindranath Tagore, Gaganendranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose, Jamini Roy, Amrita Sher-Gil as well as foreign artists. Some of the oldest works preserved here date back to 1857. With 12,000 square meters of exhibition space, the Delhi branch is one of the world's largest modern art museums.

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