Amrita Sher-Gil was a Hungarian-Indian painter considered a pioneer of modern Indian art, who uniquely blended European modernist techniques with traditional Indian art forms. After studying in Paris, she returned to India in 1934 to paint the lives of the Indian people, especially women and the poor, drawing inspiration from Ajanta cave paintings and Mughal miniatures. In her tragically short life, she created a significant body of work that has been declared a National Art Treasure by the Indian government and continues to influence artists today.