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Lot 99

Born in 1940, Bhattacharjee is well known for the psychologically and physiologically improbable characters that populate his work. With one foot on each side of the line dividing academic realism from surrealism, the artist reflects his moods and memories through the characters he creates – all average Bengalis embodying the superstitions, corruption, religion, love and violence that the artist experienced growing up and living in the city of... Born in 1940, Bhattacharjee is well known for the psychologically and physiologically improbable characters that populate his work. With one foot on each side of the line dividing academic realism from surrealism, the artist reflects his moods and memories through the characters he creates – all average Bengalis embodying the superstitions, corruption, religion, love and violence that the artist experienced growing up and living in the city of Kolkata.

Women, like the one in this piece, are rendered with a combination of spirituality, sensuality, and intimidation. In awe of their beauty and power, Bhattacharjee paints his women in a haunting light, often connecting their human femininity with a divine authority, leaving viewers wondering what secrets these women harbor and how they will use them. A master of oils, the artist is attentive to every detail in his portraits, believing that the more authentic the milieu in which his characters are, the more heightened will be their drama. In this canvas the grimy walls and barred window serve this purpose, in giving the viewers a better grasp of the mysterious Bengali housewife’s life.

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