Jamini Roy
(1887 - 1972)
A Collection of Fifty Three Works
In his search for an artistic expression, Jamini Roy delved into his roots, often incorporating elements from traditional art forms such as Kalighat patuas , Bengali scrolls and Bankura terracotta in his works. Composed with flat, earthy colours, his works feature simple figurative forms and decisive lines, as seen in lots 1 and 3. Manasij Majumdar writes that Roy "often preferred to make images with bare minimal content and a rich...
In his search for an artistic expression, Jamini Roy delved into his roots, often incorporating elements from traditional art forms such as Kalighat patuas , Bengali scrolls and Bankura terracotta in his works. Composed with flat, earthy colours, his works feature simple figurative forms and decisive lines, as seen in lots 1 and 3. Manasij Majumdar writes that Roy "often preferred to make images with bare minimal content and a rich formalist handling. Even when he treated a motif comprising two or more figures, he always eschewed all inessential representational details to move towards extreme simplification of the basic form, defined by smooth easy curved brush strokes most often in black or dark Indian red... What strikes the viewer instantly is not any theme as such but forms and figures with a striking finesse of lineal elegance." (Quoted in Manasij Majumdar, "Jamini Roy Modernism's Nationalist Face," Jamini Roy: National Art Treasure, Kolkata: Purba, 2015, p. 55) The present lot is a collection of 53 watercolour sketches by the artist, many of which were created on any available surface including desk calendar pages, bills and exhibition tickets. Featuring figures such as dancers, drummers and animals, these works provide an insight into Roy's style and technique, and some were possibly early preparatory sketches for larger works by the artist.
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Lot
2
of
90
SUMMER ONLINE AUCTION
24-25 JUNE 2020
Estimate
$70,000 - 90,000
Rs 51,80,000 - 66,60,000
Winning Bid
$78,000
Rs 57,72,000
(Inclusive of Buyer's Premium)
USD payment only.
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ARTWORK DETAILS
Jamini Roy
A Collection of Fifty Three Works
Forty works signed in Bengali (variable locations)
Watercolour and pen on paper
Variable dimensions
A collection of fifty-three works depicting various figures such as drummers, dancing girls, real and imaginary animals; some on desk calendar pages, bills, receipts and exhibition tickets. All mounted and framed, with works ranging from 19.6 x 15.1 cm to 7 x 4.3 cm (Set of fifty-three, arranged in ten groups)
PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist, Kolkata, mid-1950s Private UK Collection Bonhams, London, 21 May 2007, lot 43 Property from a Distinguished International Collection
Category: Painting
Style: Figurative