Important Notice

The present lot was painted in 1952, at the beginning of a period widely considered to be the peak of F N Souza's artistic career. It demonstrates his mastery over form, line and composition, and cements his skills as a draughtsman. Solidly rooted and dominating the board, this standing nude is fearless and defiant. Souza's thick, black lines outline her without excessive detail. A few years before leaving for England in 1949, Souza and Husain... The present lot was painted in 1952, at the beginning of a period widely considered to be the peak of F N Souza's artistic career. It demonstrates his mastery over form, line and composition, and cements his skills as a draughtsman. Solidly rooted and dominating the board, this standing nude is fearless and defiant. Souza's thick, black lines outline her without excessive detail. A few years before leaving for England in 1949, Souza and Husain had travelled together to see the stone sculptures of Mathura. The influence of those sandstone carvings, as well as references to Mohenjodaro, is seen in the pose and bracelets of his subject.

In the latter half of the 1920s, following decades of experimentation with colour and form, Roy turned to his origins, seeking an answer in Bengali folk art. Art historian Sona Datta highlights this move as a "very deep concern with regeneration and the recovery of "roots"... The search for identity and rootedness became an object and "Back to the village??? became a popular slogan in the freedom struggle." (Sona Datta, Urban Patua: The Art of Jamini Roy, Mumbai: Marg Publications, 2010, pp. 33-35) Roy turned briefly to Kalighat paintings, imbibing some aspects, but soon, his interest in the pat, the scroll-paintings of the Bankura region, took over and he developed the unique style for which he is best known. Roy also drew inspiration from the crafts, wooden and clay toys, and terracotta objects of the region. All these influences are seen in his paintings.

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