Important Notice

Lot 59

 

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Nikhil Biswas’ short life was marked by an impressive level of artistic achievement. The founder of the Calcutta Group of Painters identified deeply with the figure of the clown. According to him he was, “‘like the clown; a misfit in society’. His drawings are tortured, as if driven by the tyranny of the line, a frenetic mark-making which enabled him to pour his pain into his work.” He was known to have visited the circus to be able to better... Nikhil Biswas’ short life was marked by an impressive level of artistic achievement. The founder of the Calcutta Group of Painters identified deeply with the figure of the clown. According to him he was, “‘like the clown; a misfit in society’. His drawings are tortured, as if driven by the tyranny of the line, a frenetic mark-making which enabled him to pour his pain into his work.” He was known to have visited the circus to be able to better portray the “deeper intensity” he sought in clowns. To him, the clown “represents a human encounter at the fringes of society. He saw in clowns a familiar image of people hovering on the brink as well as individuals concealed behind a mask.” (Sona Datta, “The Paradox of Modernism: Art in Bengal After Independence”, Rob Dean and Giles Tillotson eds., Modern Indian Painting: Jane & Kito de Boer Collection, Ahmedabad: Mapin Publishing, 2019, p. 154)

FROM THE COLLECTION OF JANE AND KITO DE BOER

Jane and Kito de Boer’s collection is a rare survey of Indian painting from the late 19th century to the present day, covering major movements including photography, the Bengal School, the Progressive Artists from Bombay, and many different developments in Delhi and its environs since Independence.

This collection, one of the largest in private hands, is remarkable for its broad historical scope and represents critical periods in Indian art history. Besides notable names including F N Souza, M F Husain, and Somnath Hore, the collection also highlights the best works of lesser-known artists such as Prakash Karmakar, Nikhil Biswas, and J Sultan Ali who played a significant role in the development of Indian art. Alongside their strong aesthetics, the significance of many of the works in the collection is deepened by the de Boers’ personal association or encounters with several of the artists like Rameshwar Broota and Laxma Goud.

In their words, “One of the most important aspects of the collection is that it is a personal journey: it is our journey.... We are individuals following our passion and our collection is the sum of what we see and whom we meet. We have the art collection we have, with all its twists and turns.”

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