Important Notice

Lot 18

Since the 1960s, the main subjects of Bikash Bhattacharjee`s work have been the common folk and events of his native city of Kolkata. Painting the city`s joys and sorrows, Bhattacharjee uses his canvases to elevate beggars, prostitutes and street performers to an existence beyond their own circumscribed lives.

The present lot, an oil on canvas from the early 1990s, belongs to a suite of works that juxtaposes the life of a beggar with... Since the 1960s, the main subjects of Bikash Bhattacharjee`s work have been the common folk and events of his native city of Kolkata. Painting the city`s joys and sorrows, Bhattacharjee uses his canvases to elevate beggars, prostitutes and street performers to an existence beyond their own circumscribed lives.

The present lot, an oil on canvas from the early 1990s, belongs to a suite of works that juxtaposes the life of a beggar with that of a king. Although the title, King with Flute, does not allude to a poor man at all, this is part of Bhattacharjee`s objective. The artist`s intention is to raise his subjects out of their own realities into ones they can only achieve in their dreams. In doing so, Bhattacharjee voices his own disillusionment with the state of society, making poignant statements about the poverty, greed, and urban strife that have caused it. As he explains, “I see myself as a sort of painter journalist, using paint and canvas as a photo-journalist might use his camera. What I have to say is right there on the canvas” (Indian Painting Today, Jehangir Art Gallery Exhibition Catalogue, 1981, p. 17).

Read More
Artist Profile
Other works of this artist in: this auction  |  entire site