Paritosh Sen (1918–2008) was a monumental figure of Indian modernism and a founding member of the historic Calcutta Group formed in 1943. Born in Dhaka (now in Bangladesh), he left home to pursue formal art education at the Government College of Fine Arts in Madras under the influential sculptor Devi Prasad Roy Choudhury. Sen’s trajectory took a decisive turn in 1949 when he moved to Paris to study at the École des Beaux-Arts and the Sorbonne. During his time in Europe, he encountered Western avant-garde movements firsthand, even meeting Pablo Picasso in his studio. This exposure profoundly reshaped his artistic vision, blending Western stylistic innovations like cubism and expressionism with deep socio-political consciousness back home.

Sen’s artistic style is widely recognized for its bold, architectural line-work, vibrant two-dimensional planes, and a sharp, caricature-like treatment of the human form. His canvases frequently oscillate between profound human empathy and biting satire, capturing the psychological realities of the Indian middle class, musicians, and everyday workers with raw immediacy. An intellectual force who was also a prolific writer and teacher, Sen spent decades lecturing globally—including a stint as a visiting professor at Maryland Institute College of Art—and exhibited his art across major international cultural hubs. Today, his legacy stands as that of a bold iconoclast who helped unshackle Indian modernism from rigid institutional traditionalism.