Tyeb Mehta and K.G. Subramanyan's Late Goddess Paintings Challenge Indian Modernism Narratives

During the late 1980s, two pivotal Indian modernists—Tyeb Mehta and K.G. Subramanyan—shifted their focus to goddess imagery after careers dedicated to secular themes. This unexpected turn occurred as Indian modernism faced challenges from narrative painters championed by critic Geeta Kapur. Karin Zitzewitz analyzes this development through Edward Said's concept of late style, identifying elements of intransigence and anachronism in their work. The paintings represent a critique of secularism itself, which Said considered foundational to late style. Their religious subject matter complicates Kapur's influential account of post-colonial Indian art history. Mehta (1925–2009) and Subramanyan (born 1924) came from distinct modernist traditions yet converged on this thematic choice simultaneously. The essay was published on October 5, 2014, examining how these artists' late work intervenes negatively within established art historical narratives. Their goddess paintings emerged at a crucial juncture when modernist dominance was being questioned.