Lot Essay
Jogen Chowdhury explores the elemental bond between an artist and his art revealing an atmosphere of profound tenderness and understanding. The subject of the work is devoid of any distinctive physical features and wears a traditional dhoti, a garment typically worn by laborers and peasants in India. The choice of an anonymous and humble rendering of the artist in this work is significant and the figure exudes an archetypal or universal quality. Executed in Chowdhury's characteristic style of heavily textured and energized lines on areas of colored pigment, the intimate scale and use of black background make this work one of the artist's more serene and centered pieces.