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.
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 father, Singannacharya, a master goldsmith and sculptor, is accredited with many a works of art which find a place of prominence in many palaces, temples and religious institutions around India.
Seeing Swamy discontinue studies and his interest in art, Singannacharya joined him to the Chamaraja Technical Institution, Mysore in 1928 and saw him finish in 1932.
Swamy, "Honored Old Age"(a study of an old lady in brick red saree and drab background) won the silver medal.
Once, on his ride on Irwin road in Mysore, the then Maharaja, Krishna Raja Wadeyar iv, who had watched Swamy sketching at the palace on a few occasions, saw him whiling away his time with friends.
He later moved into "Dilkush Cottage", a palace bungalow on Hyder Ali road, previously occupied by eminent guests of the Maharaja, one of whom was the late singer Gauhar Jan.
Noteworthy among his many paintings are portraits of Lady Edwina Mountbatten of Burma[10] and Mahatma Gandhi[11] His pencil sketch of Richard M. Nixon was used for the January 1969 cover of SPAN magazine.