Rameshwar Broota (b. 1941)

Oil on canvas with bladework. Good overall condition. Gradation of tones more subtle in original than in the catalogue.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

From the early days of his career Broota has focused on the contemporary human situation.  His paintings of the 1960s depict emaciated despairing men. By the 1970s his figures transform into 'humanized' gorillas, the satirical paintings revealing the artist's concern for the morality of man. By the end of the decade there is a return to the figures of the 1960s but presented in a new style of paint application that has become his own hallmark style. This unusual technique involves covering a canvas in dark monochromatic tones and then etching the surface with a blade to reveal the lighter colors of the canvas beneath.  The result is paintings that create the quality of an early etching, often resembling a monumental x-ray.

The current work reveals a changing aspect to this style where large areas of white dominate the canvas but the etched forms of human limbs remain. Likewise these canvases have evolved conceptually. The earlier emaciated figures disappear and the human limbs have mutated to become an extension of a mechanical or industrial form.  As with his previous imagery these mutations comment on the inevitable decay of the human body and situate this theme within an increasingly complex world in which mechanical limbs, hip and even organ replacement have become commonplace. The artist's current works hint at the blurred boundaries between man and machine and modern man's increasing dependence on technology to survive. 

'Rameshwar Broota's Man has over a period of time expressed existential anxiety, satire, heroism and more recently decay.  The male nude has shadowed the artist from his early youth through creative maturity and middle age.' (Amrita Jhaveri, A Guide to 101 Modern and Contemporary Indian Artists, Mumbai, 2005, p. 22).