Important Notice

"Colours can reveal innumerable human sentiments that we are capable of and I am trying to make them live on the canvas."- S H RAZA

Painted in 1964 when Raza had moved away from his early cityscapes and figuration into what was termed 'gestural expressionism', the brushwork of the present lot retains the fluidity of his early watercolour painting. Perhaps influenced by the Abstract Expressionist movement which swept the... "Colours can reveal innumerable human sentiments that we are capable of and I am trying to make them live on the canvas."- S H RAZA

Painted in 1964 when Raza had moved away from his early cityscapes and figuration into what was termed 'gestural expressionism', the brushwork of the present lot retains the fluidity of his early watercolour painting. Perhaps influenced by the Abstract Expressionist movement which swept the Parisian art scene during the 1960s, Raza found greater freedom in the free, gestural brushstrokes, where the figure and ground were no longer separate, but treated as a whole. His interest, at this stage, was in understanding the emotional qualities of colour and movement. In a departure from the earth tones which Raza used to evoke the warmth of the forests of Madhya Pradesh, the present lot combines the familiar reds and yellows with cooler whites and sea greens, presenting what might be an abstract representation of the landscapes and climes of both India and France, where he had by then made his home. In a continuing attempt to harness the nuances of colour, nature and emotions, in the present lot, Raza offers a vibrant blend of all three.

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