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Lot Essay
Born in 1894 in current day Bangladesh, Hemendranath Mazumdar is well known for his classical oil paintings. Preferring to work in the European academic style over the then popular Neo-Bengal mode of painting, Mazumdar was a master at depicting texture and depth in paint. Throughout his oeuvre, the subject he chose most often was Bengali women bathing and draped in their saris.
In 1929, Mazumdar founded the Indian Academy of Art in Kolkata, Bengal, where he recruited fellow artists Jogesh Chandra Seal, Jamini Roy, Atul Bose and Bhabani Charan Laha to assist in the Academy's activities. By 1931, Mazumdar had been invited by the Maharaja of Kashmir to work as his official 'Court Painter' and in 1947, following India's Independence, the artist painted a mural for the All India Exhibition depicting scenes of his youth in Bengal.
In the 1929 Illustrated Journal of Fine Arts, Mazumdar wrote an article titled 'The Making of a Picture' in which he explained the various stages he went through to produce a fully worked oil. The process he defines is typical of the British Academic approach, whereby the artist carries out preparatory pencil sketches, followed by more detailed pencil and wash works. In the article, seven preparatory works of the current painting are used to illustrate the process.
In 1929, Mazumdar founded the Indian Academy of Art in Kolkata, Bengal, where he recruited fellow artists Jogesh Chandra Seal, Jamini Roy, Atul Bose and Bhabani Charan Laha to assist in the Academy's activities. By 1931, Mazumdar had been invited by the Maharaja of Kashmir to work as his official 'Court Painter' and in 1947, following India's Independence, the artist painted a mural for the All India Exhibition depicting scenes of his youth in Bengal.
In the 1929 Illustrated Journal of Fine Arts, Mazumdar wrote an article titled 'The Making of a Picture' in which he explained the various stages he went through to produce a fully worked oil. The process he defines is typical of the British Academic approach, whereby the artist carries out preparatory pencil sketches, followed by more detailed pencil and wash works. In the article, seven preparatory works of the current painting are used to illustrate the process.