Thota Vaikuntam
(1942)
Untitled
"What makes Vaikuntam's Telangana women stand apart? Their presence, for one. They emerged, full blown, on his canvases around the Eighties. Dark-skinned and voluptuous, these mature women beckon the eye with their lustrous skin, their bright saris, their profiles almost turned away, rendered either as bust or in three-quarter length. Their jewellery is distinctive - rows of bangles, armbands, glittering nose-rings, and elaborate ear ornaments....
"What makes Vaikuntam's Telangana women stand apart? Their presence, for one. They emerged, full blown, on his canvases around the Eighties. Dark-skinned and voluptuous, these mature women beckon the eye with their lustrous skin, their bright saris, their profiles almost turned away, rendered either as bust or in three-quarter length. Their jewellery is distinctive - rows of bangles, armbands, glittering nose-rings, and elaborate ear ornaments. Enhancing it all is the most graceful decoration for a rustic sundari or belle, flowers from the soil in perfectly-draped strands. The belle's make-up draws from rural dressage. Turmeric to evoke the gold of sunburnt skin, smeared across her broad forehead, often down her nose, up to the chin. A huge crimson circle of kumkum to centre the eye and soul. Bold eyes outlined with kajal or collyrium, a dark spot on the cheek to ward off the evil eye...In these huge canvases, Vaikuntam immortalizes his earthy icon for all time" (Aditi De, "The Village within the City: Encounters with the Large Canvases of Thota Vaikuntam", Rustic Ragas: Inner Melodies of Thota Vaikuntam, Timeless Books, New Delhi, 2008, p. 73, 77, 80).
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Lot
64
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70
AUTUMN AUCTION 2011
21-22 SEPTEMBER 2011
Estimate
Rs 6,00,000 - 7,00,000
$13,045 - 15,220
Winning Bid
Rs 10,87,440
$23,640
(Inclusive of Buyer's Premium)
ARTWORK DETAILS
Thota Vaikuntam
Untitled
Signed and dated in Telugu (lower left)
2011
Acrylic on canvas board
23.5 x 35.5 in (59.7 x 90.2 cm)
Category: Painting
Style: Figurative
ARTWORK SIZE:
Height of Figure: 6'