Swiss artist Alice Boner (July 22, 1889 – April 13, 1981) was an Indologist, sculptor and painter who collaborated and was friends with many Indian artists, such as the dancers Uday Shankar and Shanta Rao. Boner settled in India in 1935, the start of a lifetime of study of Indian art in its formal aspects, socio-economic contexts and philosophical resonances. An avid photographer, recorder, art collector and scholar, Alice Boner’s research led her to the significant discovery of 'principles of composition' in Indian sculpture, and to the study of composition in architectural space through collaborating on the translation of the Shilpaprakasha, an architect’ manual on temple construction. For her work, Alice Boner was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Zürich in 1969 and a Padma Bhushan by the President of India in 1974.
The Museum Rietberg of Zürich houses the collection of Alice Boner which includes her personal collection of Indian art as well as sculptures, paintings and statues by Alice Boner. Unless otherwise mentioned, all images are courtesy of Museum Rietberg, Zürich (Photo © Museum Rietberg, Zürich, Switzerland)
