When you step into an art museum, for a moment everything around you changes. The space becomes suspended in time, as artworks move to the forefront of your attention. At the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi, a maze of paintings guides you from floor to floor. Guards sit at their posts observing the museum-goers as they make their way through the gallery. One guard stands to shout at a lower floor, which is possible due to the open-concept design that makes every level visible from the ledge of the one above. At the entrance to the exhibition people studiously admire the artworks. Maybe they are here on an assignment for school, or maybe they’ve simply come to spend a leisurely afternoon in the gallery. No one seems to be in a rush.
The top three floors hold the permanent exhibition of the gallery, featuring artists such as Jamini Roy and Amrita Sher-Gil.
Paintings by Jamini Roy
Mother and Child 
Woman 
Rupa Katha 
Jamini Roy (1887-1972), The Last Supper.
Amrita Sher-Gil
Amrita Sher-Gil (1913-1941), Self-Portrait (2). 
Amrita Sher-Gil, Self-Portrait (5), 1932.
More highlights of the gallery
Haren Das (1921-1993), Summer Bath, 1980. Etching on paper. 34 x 25 cm.
Small but with a big impact, this intricate etching Summer Bath was a highlight. Delicate white lines indicate splashing water, and dark blue silhouettes of cows in the misty spray add a sense of depth to this piece.
The colours and geometric shapes in this oil painting make it stand out.
The city of Mussourie in the dark of night is lit up by specks of yellow and orange light in this watercolour painting by S. Basu Roy Chowdhury.
Green lines twist and turn to form a picture in this large oil painting. Spots of yellow paint brighten the scene.
Two figures shrouded in blue mist face each other in Sarada Ukil’s painting. They almost seem to glow in a gentle light against the background of blue.
The longer you look at this painting, the more you notice.
The colours looked even more beautiful in real life. The orange clothes of the walking people stand out against the pale blue sea.
Slide 1: Jamini Prokash Ganguli (1876-1953), Vishakhapatnam. Oil on canvas. 49 x 39 cm.
Slide 2: J.P. Ganguli, Puri Beach. Oil on canvas. 50.8 x 40.6 cm.
and finally, two photos of the National Gallery of Modern Art from the outside
-kati