Venkatraman finally shows up at IGNCA meet

The appearance is being viewed as a softening of the former president’s stand toward the newly constituted IGNCA trust and the minister, while speaking at the function, hoped that he would continue to be a part of the IGNCA "to give it his valuable guidance".

The occasion was inauguration of an exhibition of paintings by the Hungarian mother-daughter duo of Elizabeth Saas Brunner and Elizabeth Brunner by the minister at Lalit Kala gallery, the IGNCA’s first major public activity since the new trust was constituted.

But the art lovers present at the function seemed more keen for a glimpse of the 90-year-old Elizabeth Brunner herself, who made India her home way back in February 1930 when she came here as a young woman with her painter mother in search for Indian mysticism. Under the guidance of Rabindra Nath Tagore and Mahatama Gandhi, she took to khadi and travelled extensively in India.

The mother-daughter duo subsequently produced over 2,000 paintings based on their impressions about their adopted country and their deep spiritual experiences. About 90 of these paintings have been donated to the IGNCA. The exhibition, titled "Dreams and Visions – In Search of the Spiritual" was attended by eminent artists including Sonal Mansingh, B C Sanyal and the ambassadors of the Netherlands, Slovakia and Hungary. It is on till August 14.