Born in Dacca (now Dhaka, Bangladesh), Paritosh Sen was one of the pioneering figures of modern Indian art and a founding member of the influential Calcutta Group. Drawn to art at a young age through Bengali art journals, he left home to study at the Government School of Arts and Crafts in Madras, where he began developing an artistic language rooted in Indian visual traditions.

During the 1940s, Sen explored forms and idioms distinct from prevailing European modernist influences. His understanding of structure and form deepened through exposure to the works of artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, and Paul Gauguin. A turning point in his career came with his visit to Paris in 1949, where he encountered European modernism firsthand and met Pablo Picasso.

Returning to India in the 1950s, Sen increasingly turned towards themes drawn from everyday life and the socio-political realities around him. His works often combined sharp observation with satire and expressive figuration. Alongside painting, he was also an accomplished writer and illustrator, contributing extensively to English and Bengali publications. In recognition of his contribution to art, he received several honours, including the Lalit Kala Ratna in 2004. He passed away in Kolkata in 2008.