History Paintings & Portraits of Indian Leaders

Shri Kocheril Raman Narayanan, Sanjay Bhattacharya, Oil on Canvas

Location: Banquet Hall

Born in Kerala in 1920, Shri Narayanan studied at the London School of Economics. He received his M.A in English Literature from University of Travancore and became the Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi from 1979-1980. Following a career in the Indian Foreign Service, which included Ambassadorship to China and the USA, he became Member of Parliament, Union Minister and Vice President in 1992 before being sworn in as President of India (1997-2002). He died on 9 November 2005. 

Thick black curtains suspended from ceiling reveal the Mughal Garden in the background. Light enters from the Garden, representing Shri K.R. Narayanan in the foreground, wearing a black bandhgala, trouser and buckled shoes. Spectacles with thin black frame accentuate his persona. His left hand rests on a book cabinet. The top of this cabinet gives prominence to the National Flag, a small charkha and a bouquet of red roses. A clock is also seen positioned towards his right side. 

Sanjay Bhattacharya, an artist and photographer, born in 1958 painted this composition. His figurative images seem closely associated with the style of 18th century European painters. The inner and outer expressions of local architectural elements are seen as inspirations in Sanjay’s language of art.