I love to believe that it was I who travelled through the long stretches of time and space. Here I am, standing, and there he is, my old self, peeping through the canvas. The cave man used to scratch and draw on those dark cave walls the movement of his fellow beings and some running animals. I believe I must have existed even then as an artist, as I do now." - RAMESHWAR BROOTA

FROM THE COLLECTION OF JANE AND KITO DE BOER

Jane and Kito de Boer’s collection is a rare survey of Indian painting from the late 19th century to the present day, covering major movements including photography, the Bengal School, the Progressive Artists from Bombay, and many different developments in Delhi and its environs since Independence.

This collection, one of the largest in private hands, is remarkable for its broad historical scope and represents critical periods in Indian art history. Besides notable names including F N Souza, M F Husain, and Somnath Hore, the collection also highlights the best works of lesser-known artists such as Prakash Karmakar, Nikhil Biswas, and J Sultan Ali who played a significant role in the development of Indian art. Alongside their strong aesthetics, the significance of many of the works in the collection is deepened by the de Boers’ personal association or encounters with several of the artists like Rameshwar Broota and Laxma Goud.

In their words, “One of the most important aspects of the collection is that it is a personal journey: it is our journey.... We are individuals following our passion and our collection is the sum of what we see and whom we meet. We have the art collection we have, with all its twists and turns.”