Important Notice

"There is something sad and ridiculous about the band. A legacy from our erstwhile English rulers, whether official or military in pompous regalia... the band is a macabre comment on bourgeois existence." - KRISHEN KHANNA

Krishen Khanna, best known for his paintings of bandwallahs, dhabas, and labourers, has over the years also explored Christian themes in his paintings. At the heart of his work, irrespective of the... "There is something sad and ridiculous about the band. A legacy from our erstwhile English rulers, whether official or military in pompous regalia... the band is a macabre comment on bourgeois existence." - KRISHEN KHANNA

Krishen Khanna, best known for his paintings of bandwallahs, dhabas, and labourers, has over the years also explored Christian themes in his paintings. At the heart of his work, irrespective of the subject, is a search for identity. Whether the subject is an inanimate, dusty truck or a proper lady like Aunt Flossy perched on a chair, as in the present lot, his paintings are always character statements. "During the 1940s, Bombay's cosmopolitan identity was, if anything, enhanced by European expats... Krishen as a young banker at Grindlays dealt with a number of Anglo I ndians seeking to emigrate to England. His portraits of Aunt Flossie in her sola topi, or Miss Amery who taught his mother English, engage the Anglo Indian as subject, and the unsettled matter of identity." (Gayatri Sinha, "Krishen Khanna - Drawing," Krishen Khanna, Krishen Khanna Mumbai: Saff ronart, 2016)

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