S. N. Swamy (artist)

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Padmashree Singannachar Narasimha Swamy (1911 – 19 December 1983) was an Indian artist who lived and worked in India his whole life. An alumnus of Chamaraja Technical Institute, Mysore and Sir J.J School of Arts, Bombay, Swamy, as affectionately referred to, moved around in high circles, with friendships with Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (the first Prime Minister of Independent India), Mahatma Gandhi, Lord Mountbatten of Burma and the like. His paintings and other works of art can be found in various government offices, museums and personal collections around the world.

Born in Mysore, India, to a traditional family of artists, he took to art naturally as he was introduced to the field by his father "Swarnakala Nipuna" Singannacharya, who was a goldsmith of Mysore Palace, by taking the young Swamy to his work. Starting his career with being the Mysore Palace photographer and later Mysore Palace artist he went on to being art director with Dadasaheb Phalke in prabhat studio, Pune, director of Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation and member of Central Lalitha Kala Academy and Central Sangeeth Kala Academy, New Delhi. His models for oil paintings range from the likes of Lord Mountbatten of Burma, Mahatma Gandhi^[1] and so on. His passion was to do pencil sketches, which was his specialization, of world-renowned personalities and get them autographed by the subject. Some of the likes being Albert Einstein,^[2] Winston Churchill, David Low,^[3] Adolf Hitler, George Bernard Shaw,^[4] H. G. Wells,^[5] Bernard Montgomery,^[6] Franklin D. Roosevelt,^[7] etc.

He has received many awards in his recognition as an accomplished artist. In 1969 he was awarded the national award, Padma Shri,^[8] in recognition of his contribution to the field of art and the State Lalitha Kala Academy award in November 1966. Some of his books which have been published are, Temple Sculptures of India, Messenger of Peace and Priyadarshini.