Three girls (1935)

Three Girls by Amrita Sher-Gil (1935) is a landmark painting in the history of modern Indian art. It portrays three young Indian women standing side by side, wrapped in quiet melancholy, their expressions marked by introspection and emotional depth. Departing from decorative portrayals of Indian femininity, Sher-Gil presents her subjects with realism, dignity, and psychological complexity.

Painted shortly after her return from Europe, Three Girls reflects Sher-Gil’s fusion of Western techniques with Indian themes. Its muted palette and minimal background focus the viewer’s attention on the silent tension between the figures—evoking themes of loneliness, social restriction, and feminine resilience. The painting is a poignant commentary on the lives of Indian women in pre-independence society and a powerful early statement of feminist perspective in Indian art.