N.S. Bendre (1910-1992) was born in Indore and was initially trained in the State Art School, Indore, prior to taking the Government Diploma in Art from Bombay in 1933. His initial interests were conditioned by the quasi-modemist landscape painting as practiced in the Indore School at the beginning of the 20th century. An avid traveler, Bendre continued to paint the landscape throughout his career, often with different stylistic means. Early recognition came with the Silver Medal from the Bombay Art Society in 1934, followed by the then ultimate honor of the Gold Medal in 194 1. Part of the year 1945 was spent as artist in residence at Santiniketan, where he met Nandalal Bose, Ram Kinkar Baij and Binode Behari Mukherjee, and in Calcutta, Jamini Roy. Bendre's early work has been classified as being academic and impressionist, dominant subjects being the landscape and the portrait, in oils and gouache.

In the 1950’s he experimented with Cubist, Expressionist and abstract tendencies, producing such works as Thorn (1955, National Award)', Sunflowers, The Parrot and the Chameleon, which give evidence of his shifting allegiances to currents in mainstream European modernism, and his endeavor to marry these with Indian formal and thematic considerations. After he resigned from Baroda in 1966, Bendre experimented with his version of pointillism and held shows in Bombay every alternate year. He was awarded Padmashri by the President of India in 1969. He was elected to chair the International Jury at the Second Triennale in New Delhi in 1971 an as fellow of the Lalit Kala Academi in 1974. His illustrious carrier was recognized  further with a Retrospective Exhibition at the Lalit Kala Academi in 1974, the Aban-Gagan  Award from Viswa Bharati University in 1984, and the Kalidas Samman in 1984.