Important Notice

Lot 15

 

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The present lot was originally a part of the collection of Rudolf von Leyden, who was the art critic for The Times of India when the PAG came into existence. Leyden, along with Walter and Käthe Langhammer and Emanuel Schlesinger, were important supporters of the PAG, with the former playing a crucial role in advising the modernists thanks to his balanced art critiques and discussions. “Rudy von Leyden was perhaps the first ever art critic... The present lot was originally a part of the collection of Rudolf von Leyden, who was the art critic for The Times of India when the PAG came into existence. Leyden, along with Walter and Käthe Langhammer and Emanuel Schlesinger, were important supporters of the PAG, with the former playing a crucial role in advising the modernists thanks to his balanced art critiques and discussions. “Rudy von Leyden was perhaps the first ever art critic in Mumbai who was able to influence opinion in favour of modern art with his regular writings in Mumbai newspapers and journals.” (Margit Franz, “From Dinner Parties to Galleries: The Langhammer-Leyden-Schlesinger Circle in Bombay – 1940s through the 1950s,” Burcu Dogramaci et al. eds., Arrival Cities: Migrating Artists and New Metropolitan Topographies in the 20th Century, Leuven: Leuven University Press, 2020, p. 75, online)

His financial and social status allowed him the privilege of promoting and patronising the PAG members and he went on to become a part of various art purchasing committees set up by corporates in India. It was due to this and his enduring friendship with the Progressives that he was able to build an extensive collection of their works.

The present lot is attributed to H A Gade, one of India’s most pioneering modern painters. He was one of the founding members of the Progressive Artists’ Group (PAG) along with F N Souza, M F Husain, K H Ara, S H Raza, and Sadanand Bakre. Post the dissolution of the PAG in 1954, Gade went on to co-found the Bombay Group with K K Hebbar and Shiavax Chavda.

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