Illuminates ... the life and times, and the art, of one of India's greatest painters -- Ashok VajpeyiSayed Haider Raza was one of the greatest painters of modern India. This book traces his journey from his birthplace in Barbaria, Madhya Pradesh, to his involvement in the founding of the Progressive Artists' Group in Mumbai, the impact he made on the international art world in Paris, and his subsequent return to India in his last years. Interwoven through the narrative are glimpses of his personal life -- his childhood and family, his interactions and friendships with fellow artists, and his relationship and marriage with the French artist Janine Mongillat. Drawn from the letters, reminiscences and writings of Raza's friends and critics, and accompanied by reproductions of his masterly work, Yashodhara Dalmia's nuanced rendering is the definitive biography of one of the most significant artists born in this country.