Ilushikpub at 02:37, 12 January 2026

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{{Short description|1937 painting by Amrita Sher-Gil}}{{italic title}}
{{Infobox artwork
| title = Bride's Toilet
| image = Amrita Sger-Gil Bride's Toilet.jpg
| artist = [[Amrita Sher-Gil]]
| year = 1937
| medium = Oil on canvas
| width_metric = 88.8
| length_metric = 146
| metric_unit = cm
| imperial_unit = in
| museum = [[National Gallery of Modern Art]], [[New Delhi]]
}}

'''''Bride's Toilet''''' is an oil on canvas painting, painted by Hungarian-Indian artist [[Amrita Sher-Gil]] (1913–1941) in 1937.<ref name=Chowdhury2024>{{cite journal |last1=Chowdhury |first1=Asma |title=Use of Figure as the Language of Artistic Expression: An Analysis Based on Indian Female Artists’ Artworks |journal=Journal of South Asian Exchanges |date=22 August 2024 |volume=1 |issue=2 |pages=1-16 |doi=10.21659/jsae/v1n2/v1n218 |url=https://saexchanges.com/v1n2/v1n218.pdf}}</ref>

A work of [[modernism]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-09-06 |title=Bride's Toilet [Amrita Sher-Gil] {{!}} Sartle - Rogue Art History |url=https://www.sartle.com/artwork/brides-toilet-amrita-sher-gil |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=www.sartle.com |language=en}}</ref> the painting draws influence from the frescoes of [[Ajanta Caves|Ajanta]] and the miniatures of [[Mughal painting|Mughal art]], thereby resulting in a masterful amalgam of Indian and European styles.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bride's Toilet by Amrita Sher-Gil - Famous Indian Art - Handmade Oil Painting on Canvas — Canvas Paintings |url=https://www.artworkonly.com/indian-paintings/brides-toilet-by-amrita-sher-gil-famous-indian-art-handmade-oil-painting-on-canvas |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=ArtworkOnly.Com |language=en-AU}}</ref> Part of Sher-Gil's well known South Indian trilogy, comprising also ''Brahmacharis'' and ''South Indian Villagers Going to Market'',<ref>{{Cite web |title=Amrita Shergill, Drawn from Life , indiaprofile.com |url=https://www.indiaprofile.com/people/amritashergill.htm |access-date=2023-01-04 |website=www.indiaprofile.com}}</ref> ''Bride's Toilet'' explores the simplicity and uniqueness of rural life, a recurring subject in her later paintings.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bhandari |first=Parul |title=On Amrita Sher-Gil’s birth anniversary, a closer look at the women in her paintings |url=https://scroll.in/article/985478/on-amrita-sher-gils-birth-anniversary-a-closer-look-at-the-women-in-her-paintings |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=Scroll.in |language=en-US}}</ref> When Sher-Gil returned to India in 1934, her approach towards art changed significantly. A number of later artworks revolved around the poor and the underprivileged, the commonfolk and their struggles.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2014-06-14 |title=A Life in Art |language=en-US |work=The Indian Express |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/a-life-in-art/ |access-date=2022-12-30}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Power |first=Petra |date=2013-11-05 |title=Amrita Sher-Gil: The Female Pioneer Of Modern Indian Art |url=https://theculturetrip.com/india/articles/india-s-frida-kahlo-amrita-sher-gil-s-contribution-to-indian-modern-art/ |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=Culture Trip |language=en}}</ref>

''Bride's Toilet'' depicts a bride's chamber,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-06-14 |title=A Life in Art |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/a-life-in-art/ |access-date=2022-12-31 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref> wherein a young light-skinned woman, presumably the titular bride, is seated. She is half-naked; her palms are covered in [[mehndi]]. She is surrounded by two other women and two children. One of the women is dressing her hair,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bride's Toilet Archives |url=https://blog.saffronart.com/tag/brides-toilet/ |access-date=2022-12-31 |website=State of the Art |language=en-US}}</ref> and the other is holding a container. Their faces are expressionless. The painting employs a rich, colourful palette. Tones have been skilfully used.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bride's Toilet - Amrita Sher-Gil |url=https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/bride-s-toilet-amrita-sher-gil/xQFBEtHIb8eQDg |access-date=2022-12-31 |website=Google Arts & Culture |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Bride's Toilet |url=http://indianculture.gov.in/museum-paintings/brides-toilet |access-date=2022-12-31 |website=INDIAN CULTURE |language=en}}</ref> The painting demonstrates Sher-Gil's curious interest in women, their lives and adversities.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2013-02-07 |title=An Indian rhapsody |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/art/an-indian-rhapsody/article4389013.ece |access-date=2022-12-31 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

The painting was one of 33 of Sher-Gil's works displayed at [[Amrita Sher-Gil's paintings at Lahore (1937)|her solo exhibition]] at [[Faletti's Hotel]] in [[Lahore]], [[Presidencies and provinces of British India|British India]], held from 21 to 27 November 1937.<ref name=Sundaram2010>{{cite book |last1=Sundaram |first1=Vivan |title=Amrita Sher-Gil: A Self-Portrait in Letters and Writings |date=2010 |publisher=Tulika Books |location=New Delhi |volume=2|page=422|isbn=978-81-89487-59-1}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of paintings by Amrita Sher-Gil]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Amrita Sher-Gil}}

[[Category:Paintings by Amrita Sher-Gil]]
[[Category:1937 paintings]]
[[Category:Paintings in India]]
[[Category:Oil paintings on canvas]]
[[Category:Paintings of women]]
[[Category:Genre paintings]]

Bride's Toilet - Revision history

Ilushikpub at 02:37, 12 January 2026