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Descriptif du lot
“Personally my day-to-day life revolves around these allusions [to religious figures]. They remain to me, basically mythical icons – as Durga, Kali, Shiva, Krishna… In my world of imagination they are very real. I have known them from childhood tales and fables narrated to me by my father. As I grew up, I met them again in literature, music, poetry and art. What else can I paint?” (Artist statement, I. Puri, ‘I Cannot Live by Your Memories’, Let’s Paint the Sky Red, New Delhi, 2011, p. 49).
Some of the Manjit Bawa’s most renowned paintings include representations of figures drawn from Hindu mythology and classical literary narratives. A large format work on paper, the present lot focuses on a reclining figure that bears a strong resemblance to the Hindu god Krishna. Here he rests on the body of a snake with multiple heads, and seems to be protected by the large wild cat behind him. All the figures recall various stories of Lord Vishnu, one of the three principal deities of the Hindu pantheon, and his ten avatars. Known as the preserver of the universe, these avatars include Krishna, the dark skinned god of love and compassion, Narasimha, who had the head of a lion, and Narayana who is often depicted lying on the king of serpents, Shesha.
Reminiscent of Bawa’s childhood, when he heard and read fantastical tales of the feats of these religious figures, the artist’s imagery appears to be imbued with nostalgia. With great simplicity, he conjures a window into a realm of imagination, mysticism and magic. Doing away with all extraneous detail, the artist allows his viewers to meditate on the group of figures and contemplate the dynamic relationship they share.
Painted with luminous purple skin, the figure of Krishna appears to vibrate against the complementary green backdrop of pure horizonless space, perhaps a reference to Kshirsagar, the divine ocean. Apart from their innate lyricism, Bawa’s stylized figures also reveal the influence that the country’s ancient visual art traditions had on the artist. While his fluid lines borrow from the traditional Kalighat paintings of Bengal, his vivid, saturated backgrounds are inspired by Pahari schools of miniature painting.
Some of the Manjit Bawa’s most renowned paintings include representations of figures drawn from Hindu mythology and classical literary narratives. A large format work on paper, the present lot focuses on a reclining figure that bears a strong resemblance to the Hindu god Krishna. Here he rests on the body of a snake with multiple heads, and seems to be protected by the large wild cat behind him. All the figures recall various stories of Lord Vishnu, one of the three principal deities of the Hindu pantheon, and his ten avatars. Known as the preserver of the universe, these avatars include Krishna, the dark skinned god of love and compassion, Narasimha, who had the head of a lion, and Narayana who is often depicted lying on the king of serpents, Shesha.
Reminiscent of Bawa’s childhood, when he heard and read fantastical tales of the feats of these religious figures, the artist’s imagery appears to be imbued with nostalgia. With great simplicity, he conjures a window into a realm of imagination, mysticism and magic. Doing away with all extraneous detail, the artist allows his viewers to meditate on the group of figures and contemplate the dynamic relationship they share.
Painted with luminous purple skin, the figure of Krishna appears to vibrate against the complementary green backdrop of pure horizonless space, perhaps a reference to Kshirsagar, the divine ocean. Apart from their innate lyricism, Bawa’s stylized figures also reveal the influence that the country’s ancient visual art traditions had on the artist. While his fluid lines borrow from the traditional Kalighat paintings of Bengal, his vivid, saturated backgrounds are inspired by Pahari schools of miniature painting.