The long-awaited paintings by Amrita Sher-Gil have arrived at the Drents Museum. This brings an end to a period of uncertainty, after the masterpieces were previously unable to travel due to the sudden geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. On 14 May, we will open the first major retrospective in the Netherlands dedicated to one of the most important and intriguing pioneers of modern Indian art.
The exhibition Amrita Sher-Gil: ‘Europe belongs to Picasso, India belongs to me’ will be on view from Thursday 14 May until Sunday 20 September 2026.
Director Robert van Langh responded enthusiastically: ‘It is a special moment that this long-awaited Dutch premiere can finally go ahead and give audiences in the Netherlands the opportunity to discover the extraordinary artist Amrita Sher-Gil. We are fully prepared to present these remarkable masterpieces. What we were forced to postpone at the beginning of March has now finally become a reality.’
‘Europe belongs to Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Georges Braque and many others. India belongs to me alone.’ With these proud words, Amrita Sher-Gil summarised her unique position in 1938: pioneer of modern Indian art, a bridge between two worlds and one of the twentieth century’s most intriguing and rebellious artists.
Now, for the first time in the Netherlands, a major retrospective presents this celebrated yet still little-known Indian-Hungarian artist—an ambitious talent with a distinctive voice and a free-spirited, eventful life that ended tragically early. Because of her uncompromising vision, sensitivity and determination to follow her own path, she is often compared to her contemporary Frida Kahlo. Her colourful works capture the imagination and form part of India’s national heritage, rarely leaving the country.
The long-awaited works will be on view at the Drents Museum from 14 May until 20 September. During the interim exhibition period, 23 Dutch museums came to the museum’s aid. Three masterpieces by Picasso, Matisse and Braque—the artists Sher-Gil refers to in her famous quote—will remain on display as part of the exhibition.
Photo: Umrao Singh Sher-Gil/ Alamy
National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi
The paintings of Amrita Sher-Gil, from the collection of the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi, are coming to Assen. This means the long-awaited exhibition Amrita Sher-Gil: 'Europe belongs to Picasso, India belongs to me' can start at 14 May.
