Paritosh Sen was born in 1919 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He had a diploma in fine arts from the Government College of Arts and Crafts, Madras (now Chennai). He was also the founder member of the Calcutta Group, which played a significant role in shaping up the modern art in India in the pre-Independence days. In 1949, he went to Paris for further studies in art.

He got recognition through the numerous solo and group exhibitions that were held across the globe. He also participated in the Sao Paulo Biennale in Brazil in 1965, in the same year he took part in the Commonwealth Arts Festival that was held in London. In 1986, he was a participant in the second Havana Biennale in Cuba.

In 2004, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi awarded him with Lalit Kala Ratna. The artist bid adieu to this world in 2008.