KRISHEN KHANNA | Untitled (Man and Dog)

Private Collection, New York
Sotheby's New York, 24 September 2004, lot 176

Miniscule spots of loss are visible, particularly in the center left edge and upper right corner, only apparent upon very close inspection. This work is in very good condition, as viewed.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
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The present work by Krishen Khanna was likely painted at some point during the 1970s or 1980s, at a time when the artist turned his attention to Delhi and the plight of its alienated poor. As refugees of Partition, Khanna’s family journeyed across the border from Pakistan in 1947 to settle in the newly delineated nation of India. The condition of displacement and homelessness resonated deeply with the artist. His many depictions of poor laborers through the thin film of dust which pervaded the city manifest the same feeling of weariness as the present work. Both citizens of the street, man and dog sit together, expressionless; yet the warmth of their relationship is powerfully enclosed in the two hands resting on the dog’s back and chest. ‘Krishen’s experiments at this moment were symptomatic of the spirit of enquiry that pervaded Indian art in the ‘70s. There is a sense of the terrible erosion of the Indian city, the dehumanizing effect of which bleeds life of all vitality and colour’ (G. Sinha, Krishen Khanna: A Critical Biography, Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi, 2001, p. 116)