By: Ashika Sengupta

M.F. Husain - 'Ganesh Darwaza,' 1964. Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

In a city that prides itself on its citizens revolting from British rule by throwing a few crates of tea into a body of water, it is only fitting that Boston opens its artistic arms to another group of people half a world away who also stood up to the Union Jack flying over its soil as denizens of Englishmen sipped down a flavorful cup of the island nation’s favorite drink.

Later this week, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts will feature 16 pieces of modern Indian art in a nine-month-long exhibition. Entitled “Bharat Ratna! Jewels of Indian Art,” the exhibit will be on display starting November 14th and will run through August 22, 2010. It marks the first time the collection of Rajiv Jahangir Chaudhri and his wife will be displayed publicly; among the works displayed will be a collection of post-British colonization and post-independence art.

“I am a firm believer in the idea that the art of all ages and regions is the common heritage of mankind,” Chaudhri told the media in a released statement. “Since Egyptian, Greek, and Chinese art are part of my heritage, it follows that I also believe Indian art is, or should be, part of the heritage of America, Europe and other regions of the world. Bravo to the MFA for taking the leadership role in this area.”

According to a statement released by the museum, the upcoming display is the exhibition of Indian art at a major American museum in nearly 30 years, though other museums such as Southern California’s Los Angeles County of Modern Art, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum have all displayed some significant form of South Asian art in recent times. (In fact, last May, the Houston Museum of Fine Arts opened a permanent gallery of Indian art, featuring statues and other ancient artifacts from the subcontinent.)

Untitled, Sayed Haider Raza. Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Nonetheless, “Bharat Ratna,” which literally means “Jewels of India,” is the first-ever display of modern Indian art at the Boston museum, and focuses on the artistic interpretation of the cultural landscape after the country declared its independence from the British in 1947. According to the museum, the exhibit will display the interplay between evolving modernist works from the west and “deeply rooted” traditional works from India. Collectively, the unique display will shed light on how artists defined Indian art in the wake of independence, with the British leaving behind its modern western influences amidst the conservatively ancient Indian culture.

“The Chaudhris have collected some of the most outstanding examples of modernist and contemporary Indian art which document the evolution of a vibrant and influential artistic period in India,” the museum’s Ann and Graham Gund Director, Malcolm Rogers, said. “The MFA is grateful for the opportunity to display such exquisite treasures.”

With collected pieces from several of India’s leading artists during the last 60-plus years, the “Bharat Ratna” exhibition will be on display in the museum’s Indian Paintings and Decorative Arts Gallery.

A spokesperson with the museum added a 32-page color publication, featuring all 16 works and several essays by Chaudhri and Edward Saywell (the curator of “Bharat Ratna” and museum’s Chair of Contemporary Art and Programs), will be made available during the exhibition.

In all, the MFA reportedly features about 450,000 objects throughout its facility.