Important Notice

The present lot is a bust of prominent Brahmo Samaj community member, social activist, and artist Nirmal Sengupta. He was a published author, served as sub-editor at the All India Radio, and spoke Arabic and Chinese. Sengupta published literature that was considered seditious by the government in the pre-Independence years, for which he was imprisoned. When World War II began, he served as a captain in the Indian army, and was assigned to... The present lot is a bust of prominent Brahmo Samaj community member, social activist, and artist Nirmal Sengupta. He was a published author, served as sub-editor at the All India Radio, and spoke Arabic and Chinese. Sengupta published literature that was considered seditious by the government in the pre-Independence years, for which he was imprisoned. When World War II began, he served as a captain in the Indian army, and was assigned to negotiate the surrender of a group of Japanese armed forces in Southeast Asia. Sengupta later became a civil servant and following retirement, engaged in social causes. His most significant legacy is the founding of the Dhan-Khet Vidyalay (Paddyfield School) for underprivileged children in Nalgora Haat, south of Kolkata.

The present lot is a sensitive depiction of Sengupta by artist Meera Mukherjee, who was closely acquainted with him and his work. The artist and the subject are both important historical figures in the cultural life of Bengal. In 1978, they were both part of the Kasauli Art Centre Artist Workshop. Sengupta provided significant assistance to Mukherjee in compiling reports for her book, Metal Craftsmen of India, published the same year. This sculpture of Sengupta, crafted with Mukherjee's trademark dedication to emotion and technique, captures her respect for Sengupta's selfless and generous nature.

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