Important Notice

Born in 1901, George Keyt is one of Sri Lanka's most celebrated 20th century artists. Of Sinhalese- Dutch origin, his early years were spent in a liberal and culturally rich environment. This, coupled with the artist's own interest, helped him gain knowledge of Buddhist literature, Indic texts, temple architecture and Indian iconography which collectively came to influence his oeuvre. His style greatly drew from the works of Picasso and Matisse.... Born in 1901, George Keyt is one of Sri Lanka's most celebrated 20th century artists. Of Sinhalese- Dutch origin, his early years were spent in a liberal and culturally rich environment. This, coupled with the artist's own interest, helped him gain knowledge of Buddhist literature, Indic texts, temple architecture and Indian iconography which collectively came to influence his oeuvre. His style greatly drew from the works of Picasso and Matisse. Many of his works display a unique style which assimilates these distinct aesthetics into compositions that are recognizably his own.

The present lot depicts a girl with a hand held mirror, gazing longingly as she rests her one hand on her forehead. The smooth curves of the mirror and the gentle waves of her mane are juxtaposed with her sharp angular nose, resulting in a composition that is characteristically Keyt's.

"The lyric painting of George Keyt is sensuous Indian poetry brought to canvas. [...] Keyt takes as his primary theme woman as the focus of man's concern. He paints her in flat planes, with bounding lines and rich warmth of color. His idiom occasionally carries in it a hint of Picasso but is, once again, in direct line with the traditional styles of Central India, Mewar, and Bahsoli. But the originality of Keyt's work is undoubted, and his work remains uniquely his own." (R. Bartholomew and S.S. Kapur, Husain, New York: Harry N.Abrams, Inc., 1972, p27).

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