K G Subramanyan was one of the leading artists in post-independence India and is referred as India’s greatest scholar artist. Subramanyan studied art at Santiniketan under the tutelage of Nandalal Bose, Benode Behari Mukherjee and Ramkinkar Baij, who are considered as the pioneers of modern Indian art. He worked as a lecturer at the Faculty of Fine Arts in M.S. University in Baroda and later went back to Santiniketan to teach art.
A versatile artist, Subramanyan is known as a painter, muralist, sculptor, printmaker, set designer and toy maker. He enjoyed painting women, children, objects and animals. Subramanyan has been awarded the exceptionally prestigious Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and the Padma Vibhushan from the Government of India for his contribution to Indian art.