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Ratan Parimoo
1936,  Male ,  Indian ,  Director

Prof. Ratan Parimoo is a noted art teacher, historian and critic who has specialised in traditional and contemporary arts of India. He was Head of the Department of Art History & Aesthetics from 1966 to 1991 at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. As a Commonwealth scholar, Prof. Parimoo studied History of European Art at the Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London (1960-63). He received the Rockfeller Grant to study in the USA in 1974. He was invited to participate in the twenty-third World Congress of the International Society of Education through Art held in Australia in 1968.
He is the editor of the encyclopaedic critical anthology, Creative Arts in Modern India. In 2010 he edited “Historical Development of Contemporary Indian Art 1880-1947”. His publications include Paintings of the three Tagores: Abanindranath, Gaganendranath and Rabindranath; Studies in Modern Indian Art; Sculptures of Sheshasayi Vishnu; and Essays on New Art History: Studies in Indian Sculpture. He is also an eminent painter.

1957-59 Cultural Scholarship for Painting, Govt. of India
1960-63 Commonwealth Scholarship to study in London
1966 First prize in Painting, Annual Exhibition, J & K, cultural Akademi
1974 Rockefeller IIIrd Grant to study & travel in U.S.A.
1991-1993 Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowshipfor Jataka Stories in Buddhist Art
2000 Gaurav Puraskar, Gujarat State Lalit Kala Akademi

 

1981-1984 Member, Executive Board, Lalit Kala Akademi, Delhi

1982 Member, UGC Panel Art History/ Museology

1982-1988 Executive Secretary, Indian Association of Art Historians

1985 Member, UGC Pay Scale Revision Committee

1987 Member, Central Advisory Board of Museum, Govt. of India

1993-1995 Member, History of Science Panel, Indian National Science Akademi, New Delhi

1994-1997 Member, UGC Panel for Art History/ Fine Arts

1998-2000 Art Purchase Committee, NGMA, Delhi

2003-2005 Programme Advisory Committee, NGMA, Delhi

1. ‘The Technique and the Preservation of Indian Miniature Paintings’. Thesis submitted for the Diploma in Museology Examination in 1957. Synopsis published in the Indian  Museums Journal, 1959.

2. ‘Paintings in Rajasthan’, Information Magazine, Government of Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, Dec. 1964.

3. ‘Words and Paint’, Design Magazine, Dec.1964. Bombay (Manifesto as Painter).

4. ‘Recent Paintings of Shanti Dave Homage to the Wall’ – essay in the catalogue of the artist’s exhibition held in March 1965, New Delhi.

5. ‘Baroda Painters and Sculptors’, Lalit Kala Contemporary, No.4, New Delhi, April 1966.

6. ‘Revivalism and After, an Aesthetic Controversy in 20th Century, Indian Aesthetics and Art Activity’, (editors) Mulk Raj Anand and Niharranjan Ray, Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Simla, 1968.

7. ‘Aims and Methodology of Teaching Art History in Art Schools’, Proceedings of the Seminar of Art and Craft in Teacher Education, (ed.) K.S. Kulkarni, Jamia Millia, Delhi, 1968.

8. ‘Paintings of Gaganendranath Tagore (in Gujarati)’, Kumar, Ahmedabad, Feb.1968.

9. ‘Notes on Young Baroda Sculptors’, Lalit Kala Contemporary, No.10, Sept.1969.

10. ‘Graphic Art in Western India’, a Report, Lalit Kala Contemporary, No.11, 1970.

11. ‘Evolution of Indian painting since 1850’, Times of India, June 20th, 1971.

12. ‘The Chronology of the Paintings of Gaganendranath Tagore’ in Chhavi – Golden Jubilee Volume, (ed.) Anand Krishna, Bharat Kala Bhavan, Banaras Hindu University, 1972.

13. ‘Cubism, World Art and Indian Art’, Paper read on the Seminar arranged by the Lalit Kala Akademi on the occasion of the 1st Indian Triennial, Feb. 1968, Roopa Lekha, New Delhi, 1972, Times of India, July 23rd, 1972.

14. ‘Modern Trends in Indian Sculpture’, Times of India, Sept. 2nd, 1972, full version titled: ‘Modern Movement in Indian Sculpture’ in Art Since the 1940s – A Quest for Identity, Madras, 1974.

15. ‘A New Set of Rajasthani Paintings’, Lalit Kala, No.17, New Delhi, 1974.

16. ‘Kitch, Vulgarization of Art’, Times of India, Nov.16th, 1975.

17. ‘Elephanta in the Context of Evolution and Significance of Saiva Sculpture’, Journal of Oriental Institute, Baroda, March 1977. Also in reprint of Shastri, Guide to Elephanta by Kanak Publications-Books India, New Delhi, 1978.

18. ‘New Sculpture from Baroda’, Lalit Kala Contemporary, No.28, New Delhi, 1979.

19. ‘The Problem of the Popular Mughal Style: Some Fresh Considerations in the Context of Kankroli Paintings’, in Proceedings of Workshop in History of Art, (ed.) Ratan Parimoo, Baroda, 1979.

20. ‘Indigenous Culture and the function of Art Educator’, in Arts in Cultural Diversity, Sydney, Australia, 1979.

21. ‘Myself, My Art and Indian Art’, Artrends, Vol.XV, Nos.3 & 4, July 1980 & Oct.1980, Vol.XVI, Nos.1 & 2, Jan.1981 & April 1981, Cholamandal Artists Village, Madras.

22. ‘Dated Ragamala from Radhanpur (Mesakarna and Muftahusarur)’, Journal of the Oriental Institute, Vol.XXX, Nos.3-4, March-June 1981.

23. ‘Ashta-Maha-Pratiharya Prastar, Ek Murti Vishyak Adhyayan’, Kala Traimasika, Lucknow, Sept. 1981.

24. ‘Buddha’s Birth Scenes’, Rangavali, S.R. Rao, Felicitation Volume, New Delhi, 1982.

25. ‘The Idea of Form, Style and Development in Indian Sculpture’, S.K. Saraswati Memorial Volume, (ed.) Jayant Chakravarti, New Delhi, 1982.

26. ‘Mahaparinirvana of Buddha in Indian Sculpture’, Dinesh-Chandrika, D.C. Sircar Felicitation Volume, (ed.) B.N. Mukherjee et.al., New Delhi, 1982.

27. ‘More Paintings from the Devgarh Thikana’, Lalit Kala, 20, 1982.

28. ‘Dr. Goetz on Indian Paintings’, Baroda Museum Bulletin, Vol.XXVIII, 1982.

29. ‘Obituary of Shri Sivaramamurti’, Journal of the Oriental Institute, Jan-March, 1983.

30. ‘Kaliya Daman in South India Sculpture’, Srinidhih: Srinivasan Festschrift Volume, (ed.) K.V. Raman et.al., Madras, 1983.

31. ‘Jagannath Dvara Chitrit Bihari Sat Sai’, Kala Traimasika, March-May 1983.

32. ‘Paintings, of Nandalal Bose, Style and the Phases’, Nandan, Shantiniketan, 1983.

33. ‘Coomaraswamy and India Art History’, Journal of the Oriental Institute, Vol.32, Nos.1-4, Sep.-June 1982-83, Another version, Paroksha, Coomaraswamy Centenary Seminar Papers, (eds. Gulam Sheikh et.al), New Delhi 1984.

34. ‘Traditional Paintings in Gujarat’, Gazetteer of Gujarat, Ahmedabad.

35. ‘The Influence of Indigenous Factors in Contemporary Indian Art’, Silver Jubilee Volume, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi.

36. ‘Picture Puzzles of Bihari Sat Sai, Painted by Jagannath’, Indian Magazine, Vol.4, No.7, June 24th, 1984.

37. ‘She Sculpts with Words’, Review Article on ‘Selected Writings of Stella Kramrisch’, in Times of India, June 24th, 1984.

38. ‘Paintings and Sketches of Nandanlal Bose’, Marg, Vol.XXXV, No.2, 1984.

39. ‘Sculpture of Sheshasayi Vishnu, Some Iconological Problems in Indian Studies’ – Essays presented in Memory of Prof. Niharranjan Ray, ed. Amita Ray, et.al., Delhi 1984.

40. ‘Revival of Indigenous Values and their Influence on Modern Indian Art’, Journal of M.S. University, Baroda, Vol.XXXIII, No.1, 1984-85.

41. ‘Naran Murtzagar, The Maker of Images’, The India Magazine, Vol.5, No.11, Oct.1985.

42. ‘Vishnu’s Weapons and their Representation in Indian Art’, Kala Kshetra, Madras, 1986.

43. ‘On the Sculptures from Ellora Caves and the Problems of Deccan School’, Smt. Pupul Jaykar Felicitation Volume, (ed.) Lokesh Chandra and Jyotindra Jain, New Delhi, 1986.

44. ‘Putana in Indian Art’, Shivaramamurti Memorial Volume, Kusumanjali, (ed.) M.S. Nagaraja Rao, New Delhi, 1987.

45. ‘Kaliya Daman in Indian Paintings’, K.D. Bajpai Felicitation Volume, (ed.) R.K. Sharma et.al., New Delhi, 1987.

46. ‘Some Thoughts on Vishvarupa Vishnu’, in Vaisnavism in Indian Art and Culture, (ed.) Ratan Parimoo, Books & Books, New Delhi, 1987.

47. ‘Influence of Henry Moore on Modern Indian Sculpture’, Times of India, Ahmedabad, Nov. 17th, 1987.

48. ‘Bibliography of Research Publications of Dr. U.P. Shah’, Journal of Oriental Institute, Baroda, Vol.37, No.1-4, 1987-88.

49. ‘Dr. U.P. Shah – In Appreciation’, Ibid.

50. ‘Some Problems of Ellora from the Point of View of the Buddhist Caves’, Ellora Caves: Sculptures and Architecture, (ed.) Ratan Parimoo, Books & Books, New Delhi, 1988.

51. ‘The Monumental Art of Balbir Singh Katt’, Kala Darshan, Vol.1, No.3, New Delhi, 1988.

52. ‘The Aiholi Sub Style of Chalukyan Sculptures’, in New Trends in Indian Art and Archaeology, S.R. Rao’s 70th Birthday Felicitation Volume, ed. Nayak and Ghosh, Delhi, 1989.

53. ‘Krishna Lila in Sculptural Reliefs and Temples’, Ajaya Mitra Shashtri Volume, (ed.) Devendra Handa, New Delhi, 1989.

54. ‘Vidhura Pandita Jataka, from Barhut to Ajanta: A Study on Narrativity, Semiology and Stylistic Aspects’, Dr. Debala Mitra Felicitation Volume, (ed.) Gouriswar Bhattacharya, New Delhi, 1991. Also in the Art of Ajanta, (ed.) Ratan Parimoo, Books & Books, New Delhi, 1989.

55. ‘Inscriptions Related to Ajanta’, Essays on Ideology, Polity and Administration, In Honour of R.K. Trivedi, (ed.) S.D. Trivedi, Delhi, 1989.

56. ‘Some Aspects of the Decorative Repertoire of Gujarat Temple Architecture’, in Proceedings of the Seminar on Decorative Arts of India, Salargunj Museum, Hyderabad, 1989.

57. ‘Semiotic Analysis of Damul’, New Quest, Pune, No.57, 1989.

58. ‘The Sculptural Journey of Mahendra Panya’, Arts and Crafts, New Delhi, 1989.

59. ‘Eight Baroda Artists – In Search of a Personal Image’, C.M.C. Gallery, Delhi, 1990.

60. ‘Modern Movement in Indian Sculpture’, Kalavrit, Jaipur, 1990.

61. ‘A Nineteenth Century Wood Block Painted Scroll’, The Indian Magazine, New Delhi, 1990.

62. ‘The Myth of Gupta Classicism and the Concept of Regional Genres, (Seminar on ‘Historiography of Indian Art’)’, New Quest, Pune, Nov./ Dec.1990, Jan./ Feb. 1991.

63. ‘Khajuraho – the Chandella Sculptor’s Paradise: Is there Chandella Style of Medieval Indian Sculpture? Its Sources and Characteristics’, in Margabandhu, (ed.), Indian Archaeological Heritage, K.V. Soundararajan Volume, Delhi, 1991.

64. ‘Profile of a Pioneer: N.S. Bendre’, Lalit Kala Contemporary, No.37, New Delhi, 1991.

65. ‘Adaption of Folk Tales for Buddhist Jataka Stories and their Depiction in Indian Art, A Study in Narrative and Semiotic Transformation’, Journal of the M.S. University of Baroda, Humanities Number, 1991/92.

66. ‘Dasi – A Film Analysis’, New Quest, Pune, Jan./Feb. 1992.

67. ‘The Meaning of Mandhata Jataka’, Roopa Lekha, Vol.LXII-LXIII, New Delhi, Dec.1993.

68. ‘Vishnu Theme in Indian Miniature Painting, in ‘Vishnu in Art, Thought and Literature, (ed.) Kamalkar, Birla Archaeology and Cultural Research Institute, Hyderabad, 1993.

69. ‘Birth of Prithu: Interpretation of a Rajasthani Painting from Vishnu Purana’, Seminar on Puranas – Vishnu and Markandeya, (ed.) R.T. Vyas, Oriental Institute, Baroda, July 1993, (in press).

70. ‘Notes Towards the Formation of Medieval Style in Malwa Region of Western Madhya Pradesh: a Presentation of Hinglajgarh Sculptures’, Art the Integral Vision: A Volume of Essays in Felicitation of Kapila Vatsyayan, (ed.) B.N. Saraswati, et.al., Delhi, Dec. 1993.

71. ‘Revivalism, Indigenous Factors of Modern Indian Art, Reconsidered in the Context of Post-Modernism’, Lalit Kala Contemporary, No.38, New Delhi, 1993.

72. ‘Baroda School’s Contribution to Contemporary Art Trends’, Trends & Images, Centre of International Modern Art, Calcutta, 1993.

73. ‘Some Dilemmas of Interaction with the West in Modern Indian Art’, Santiniketan, 1993.

74. ‘Towards Possible Theory of Narratives in Indian Painting’, Journal of M.S. University of Baroda, Humanities, Vol.XLIII, No.1, 1993-94.

75. ‘Some Aspects of the Decorative repertoire of Northern Indian (Nagara) Temple Architecture’, Alamkara: 5000 years of Indian Art, (ed.) Lim Cheeon, National Heritage Board, Singapore, 1994.

76. ‘Relevance of Aesthetics in the Contemporary Arts: Deconstructing Ananda Coomaraswamy and Indian Aesthetics’, ‘ New Quest, Pune, Nov./Dec. 1994.

77. ‘Art Education in India in ‘the ‘Dictionary of Art’, Macmillan Publishers Ltd., London, 1994.

78. ‘Discourse Analyzes of Visual Arts: Uncovering the Meaning of the Picture Puzzles of Bihari Sat Sai Paintings’, in the Proceedings of the Seminar on Dimensions of Discourse Analyzes, Mysore, Shri Karl Khandalavala Felicitation Volume, (ed.) B.N. Goswamy, a detailed and enlarged version, in East & West, Rome, Vol.45, Nos.1-4, 1995.

79. ‘A Proposed Methodology for the Study of System of Proportions in Indian Temple Architecture’, Studies in Jaina Art and Iconography and Allied Subjects, U.P. Shah Commemoration Volume, (ed.) R.T. Vyas, New Delhi, 1995.

80. ‘On Re-identification of Andhra Buddhist Jataka Relief Sculptures’, in (i) Journal of the M.S. University of Baroda, Humanities Number 91-92, 1991-1992, (ii) Revised version in Artibus Asiae, Vol.LV, 1/2, Zurich, April 1995.

81. ‘The Myth of Kaliya Daman Krishna in Indian Painting: A Study of Pictorial Narratives’, (Part II), Sri Nagabhinandanam, M.S. Nagaraju Rao Festschrif, (eds.) Srinivasan, Nagaraju, Banglore, 1995.

82. ‘The Myth of Kaliya Daman Krishna in Indian Painting: A Study in Pictorial Representation – Part II’, Dr. M.S. Nagaraja Rao Festschrift, (ed.) L.K. Srinivasan et.al., Banglore, 1995.

83. ‘Buddhist Attitude to Women as Reflected in the Jataka Stories and Art’, in Krsna-Smrti-K.D. Bajpai Commemoration Volume, (eds.) Sharma, Agrawal, Delhi, 1995.

84. ‘Narrative Structure and the Significance of the Snake Jatakas in Buddhist Art’, R.R. Ganguly Felicitation Volume, (ed.) S.S. Biswas, Calcutta, 1995.

85. ‘Introduction to Sculptures’, Gyangangotri, Drisyakala Volume of Gujarati Encyclopedia, (eds.) Gulam Sheikh and Sirish Panchal, Series 30, Vallabh Vidhyanagar 1996. Also used for UGC lectures on T.V. Also, published in Arts & Crafts, New Delhi, 1993, in six installments.

86. ‘Foreword, for Deepak Kannal’s book, Ellora, an Enigma in Sculptural Styles’, Books & Books, (ed.) Bharati Shelat, New Delhi, 1996.

87. ‘Vesantara Jataka from Amaravati and Nagarjunakonda’, Vinayatushini – Benoytosh Centenary Volume, (ed.) Shyamal Kanti Chakravarti, 1996.

88. ‘Publications, Magazines, Journals, Polemics: (Supportive critical writing from Charles Fabri to Geeta Kapoor)’, 50 years of Indian Art, NCPA, Mumbai, 1997, (Published in 1998).

89. ‘The Significance of the Baroda Gaekwad Collection of Ravi Varma Paintings’, Legacy of Raja Ravi Varma, the Painter, (ed.) Ratan Parimoo, Baroda, 1998.

90. ‘The Painter’s Ramayana: Sahibdi’s Paintings of Lanka Kanda’, International Seminar on Ramayana, Journal of Oriental Institute, Baroda, Vol.XLVIII, Nos.1-4, Sep.98 – June 99.

91. ‘Somanth Hore and His Times’, Bichitra, Vol.2, Kolkata, 2000.

92. ‘Rasapanchadhyayi Paintings from Pahari School based on the Bhagvat Purana and their Hermeneutic Interpretation’, Proceedings of Seminar on Indian Culture, Philosophy and Art, Ahmedabad, 2001.

93. ‘Landscape Painting: The Human Recreation of Nature’, Sarjan Art Gallery, Baroda, 2001.

94. ‘Shanti Dave’s Home Coming’, Sarjan Art Gallery, Baroda, 2001.

95. ‘The First Baroda Group of Artists in ‘Chitrakala’, M.S. Nanjunda Rao Felicitation Volume, (ed.) S.K. Ramachandra Rao, Banglore, 2001.

96. ‘Thoughts on Concretizing the Abstraction: (Ratan Parimoo’s Honeymoon with Abstraction)’, Kala Dirgha, Vol.I, No.2, Lucknow, April 2001.

97. ‘Wilderness Transformed in a Flower Garden: The Renaissance of Art in Gujarat’, Sarjan Art Gallery, Baroda, 2002.

98. ‘Saundarananda Story – A Sculpture Relief from Goli Stupa and its Hermeneutic Interpretation’, Lalit Kala, No.29, Delhi, 2004.

99. ‘Interpreting a Pahari Painting: Rasamanjari or Rasikapriya, Inverting a Metaphor’, in the Anand-Vana of Indian Art, Dr. Anad Krishna Felicitation Volume, (ed.) Naval Krishna and Manu Krishna, Varanasi, 2004.

100. ‘Offering the Flesh of the Body: Jataka Stories in Central India and Himalayan Art’, in The Art of Central Asia and the Indian Sub-continent, (ed.) Anupa Pande, Delhi, 2009.

101. ‘A Controversial Set of Pahari School Paintings Baed on Ramacharitamanas from Baroda Museum’, in The Diverse World of Indian Painting – Vichitra-Voshva – Esays in Honour of Dr. Vishwa Chander Ohri, (ed.) Usha Bhatia, Amar Nath Khanna and Vijay Sharma, New Delhi, 2009.

102. ‘Mapping the Asian Journey of Vessantara Jataka: texts and Pictorial Images of the perfect Generosity of Prince Vessantara’, From Turfan to Ajanta Festschrift for Dieter Schlingloff on the Occasion of his Eightieth Birthday, (eds.) Eli Franco and Monika Zin, Lumbini International Research Institute Rupandeli, Nepal, 2010.

103. ‘Patronage: Ministers, Intellectuals, Businessmn and Jaina Acharyas’, Journal of Asiatic Society of Mumbai, 2010.

104. ‘Sea Voyages in the Story of Shripala Rasa from the Gujarat Coast,With Supplementary Notes from Shri Jagadu Charita, for “Gujarat and the Sea” International Seminar held at Kucch-Mandvi, Proceedings edited by Lotika Vardarajan, (in Press).

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