Ganesh Pyne
(1937 - 2013)
The Masks
Toys and masks made repeated appearances in Ganesh Pyne's work. Placed beside skulls, detached limbs and disintegrating flesh, they perhaps represent a 'safe-space' within the gloomy shadows and haunting images of death in his compositions. In the present lot, two figures, one wearing a skull mask and the other, a silhouette holding a toy mask, appear to be in conversation. The dark palette, subtle gradation and texture lend the painting a...
Toys and masks made repeated appearances in Ganesh Pyne's work. Placed beside skulls, detached limbs and disintegrating flesh, they perhaps represent a 'safe-space' within the gloomy shadows and haunting images of death in his compositions. In the present lot, two figures, one wearing a skull mask and the other, a silhouette holding a toy mask, appear to be in conversation. The dark palette, subtle gradation and texture lend the painting a surrealist air. Writer Shiladitya Sarkar observes that "Pyne's repertoire resonates with autobiographical references to childhood." (Shiladitya Sarkar, Thirst of a Minstrel: The Life and Times of Ganesh Pyne , New Delhi: Rupa & Co., 2005, p. 60) Growing up in Calcutta in the 1940s, Pyne witnessed first-hand, the carnage that accompanied the 1946 communal riots and Partition a year later. Additionally, Pyne's childhood was punctuated by a series of personal losses, including the deaths of his father and grandmother. His visual language is marked by the violence and tragedy he experienced in his early years.
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Lot
36
of
78
EVENING SALE | MUMBAI, LIVE
Estimate
Rs 55,00,000 - 65,00,000
Winning Bid
Rs 1,32,00,000
ARTWORK DETAILS
Ganesh Pyne The Masks
Signed and dated in Bengali (lower right)
PROVENANCE:
PUBLISHED:Ganesh Pyne: His Life and Times , Kolkata: Centre for International Modern Art (CIMA), 1998, p. 97 (illustrated)Thirst of a Minstrel: The Life and Times of Ganesh Pyne, New Delhi: Rupa & Co., 2005 (illustrated)
Category: Painting
ARTWORK SIZE: