Lot 41
  • 41

Akbar Padamsee

Estimate
150,000 - 250,000 GBP
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Description

  • Akbar Padamsee
  • Untitled
  • Signed and dated 'PADAMSEE/ '83' upper left

  • Oil on canvas

  • 123 by 183 cm. (48½ by 72 in.)

Provenance

Acquired directly from the artist in 1983
Private Collection, Dubai
Current owner

Condition

Overall good condition,colours of original slightly richer than catalogue illustration, more magenta tones in browns of landscape than in catalogue illustration, 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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

'For Akbar Padamsee, painting is a direct result of tensions created by "the linear, the formal, the tonal and the chromatic." His images alternate between the human figure and the landscape, and between primary and tertiary colors - anchors that allow him to enjoy an aesthetic variety to a successful conclusion.' (Amrita Jhaveri, A Guide to 101 Modern and Contemporary Indian Artists, Mumbai, 2005, p. 60).

Padamsee's most distinctive works are his "Metascapes" the archetypal landscape that began in the 1970s, these were a result of series of experiments juxtaposing colours and exploring textures.  While the compositions contained the material elements of a landscape, they evoked a vast, endless infinity.  These sublime compositions consisted of, ' ... brilliantly choreographed planes of light and dark made in thick impasto which evoked mountains, field, sky and water.  The controlled cadence of the colours breaks into a throbbing intensity as the artist in his most masterly works, evokes infinite time and space.' (Dalmia 1997, p.17).

The artist states "... colours expand and contrast, colours travel on the surface of the static painting... colour trajectory is strategy...  A colourist needs to master the art of silencing some colours, so as to render others eloquent (Akbar Padamsee, India Myth and Reality, Aspects of Modern Indian Art, Oxford 1982, p.17).