Important Notice

There is a certain simplicity in returning to roots and "identity" which manifests itself in the works of Jamini Roy. Born to a middle-class land-owning family in Bankura, West Bengal, Roy's convictions and inspirations are rooted in indigenous pursuits and socio-political factors of the time. In the first half of the twentieth century, prominent figures like Mahatma Gandhi brought with them a wave of patriotism and aroused a need for Swadeshi... There is a certain simplicity in returning to roots and "identity" which manifests itself in the works of Jamini Roy. Born to a middle-class land-owning family in Bankura, West Bengal, Roy's convictions and inspirations are rooted in indigenous pursuits and socio-political factors of the time. In the first half of the twentieth century, prominent figures like Mahatma Gandhi brought with them a wave of patriotism and aroused a need for Swadeshi goods. Abanindranath Tagore pioneered a nationalist ideology by rejecting western models for more traditional styles, something that deeply influenced Roy in the 1920s. Bolstering his preference for a non-western aesthetic was his encounter with other artists seeking oriental influences, rejecting occidental ones, which made Roy "incorporate elements of Chinese and Japanese calligraphic traditions into his art, seeking to construct a pan-Asian artistic tradition that embodied the cultural aspects shared by these countries." (Sona Datta, Urban Patua: The Art of Jamini Roy, Marg Publications, 2010, p20) This calligraphic fluidity can be seen in Roy's portrayal of smooth contours and lucid curves.

While Roy was initially enthused by Kalighat paintings, he felt an urge to return to his childhood observations of local artisans and their works. The village patua art, prevalent in West Bengal since ages, became his muse. Perhaps the appeal of the art lay partly in its primitiveness and "direct expression of the emotion aroused by the universal essence of the nature around" (The Art of Jamini Roy, Calcutta: Birla Academy, 1987, p13), instead of merely regurgitating detail. His motive was also political; his desire to uplift the middle classes and reject capitalist notions played a role in his process of creating art. Much of Roy's art is a collaborative effort, a result of "collective identity". Sona Datta elaborates on this:

"Popular art had a social basis for which it was produced by the community and it was anathema to the capitalist concept of the lone genius. So it was amid the call for a "people's art" that Jamini Roy was feted as an original master..." (Sona Datta, Urban Patua: The Art of Jamini Roy, Marg Publications,2010, p26)

M.F. Husain declared Roy to be the "father of Indian Modern Art"(Ibid, p11). Speaking of his works, Datta says, "Roy's vivid expression is born of conceptual clarity, and it is this quality that made him so enormously popular." (Ibid, p20)

The lot titled "Lady", is reminiscent of one of Roy's other works: a Gopini. Roy's desire for only the essentials resulted in an employment of flat colours, usually home-made vegetable dyes. His desire to express his Indianness came through his execution of technique and style. Extracting motifs from narratives, he wove them together to create a distilled, progressive art form. His works do not burst with colour either: they are frugally used to set the mood for the viewer, as made evident in this work.

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