Important Notice

Jogen Chowdhury is known for his distinctive depiction of human figures, inspired by traditional folklore and the Indian family. The Bengali influence in his work is undeniable, but his compositions have a universal appeal, and his mastery of the line adds a profoundness to the subjects and themes portrayed in his art. Chowdhury addresses the human form with a curiosity that is almost scientific in its observation. His figures, which are... Jogen Chowdhury is known for his distinctive depiction of human figures, inspired by traditional folklore and the Indian family. The Bengali influence in his work is undeniable, but his compositions have a universal appeal, and his mastery of the line adds a profoundness to the subjects and themes portrayed in his art. Chowdhury addresses the human form with a curiosity that is almost scientific in its observation. His figures, which are rendered that is almost scientific in its observation. His figures, which are rendered freely and are often distorted, recall people and interactions from daily life, textured through a cross?hatching technique he began to use in the 1960s. He reveals the body in diverse situations - alone, aged and disfigured, or dressed in finery. In the richness of details, the people in his works often seem almost three-dimensional. "There may be a sculptural solidity in the drawing... I've wished to use all this in a way that would create total impact, because I think of the totality of the expression." (Artist quoted in Rakhi Sarkar, Jogen Chowdhury: His Life and Times, Kolkata: Centre for International Modern Art, 2005, p. 42)

Chowdhury's depictions of people are not conventional. "I have never done direct portraits. I do not paint the actual image of a man in his immediate presence as a character. I have to wait till the image sinks into my mind before I can capture that element in my painting... When I seek to portray the total character... I cast the lines and gestures of his face within the frame of the picture strictly according to the needs of the image, so that the face takes shape precisely in terms of the lines that the face requires." (Jogen Chowdhury, "An Artist's Thoughts," Masanori Fukuoka, R Siva Kumar and Jogen Chowdhury, Jogen Chowdhury: Enigmatic Visions, Himeji: Glenbarra Art Museum, 2005, pp. 88-89) In the early 1980s, when the present lot was painted, the artist explains that his work became preoccupied with portraying the unique mannerisms and gestures of the Indian people - the ways in which they sit, move and carry themselves. Occasionally, these postures give "these images a comical edge, a certain humour, and, if only occasionally, also the teeth of a biting satire." (R Siva Kumar, "Jogen Chowdhury: Lyric and Enigmatic Visions," Fukuoka, Kumar and Chowdhury, p. 10)

The artist's drawings of women are reverent and sympathetic interpretations of his subjects, with a focus on the human figure. In the present lot, Chowdhury depicts a woman draped in an orange sari, painting the fabric and folds of the garment with an almost tangible quality that gives it the appearance of a flowing river. The painting assumes a dramatic quality as the subject is illuminated against a darkened background. "Many of his forms appear in close-ups against a dream screen or an unfathomable black void. But they do not lose their palpability." (R Siva Kumar, "Jogen Chowdhury: Lyric and Enigmatic Visions," Fukuoka, Kumar and Chowdhury, p. 10) Elsewhere, Chowdhury has spoken about his partiality for this colour. "Black builds up a charge that I relish. Besides, the form, the image I'm making gains in prominence against the black??? Black brings depth and dimension to a work of art." (Artist quoted in Sarkar, p. 44)

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