Syed Haider Raza (b. 1922)

Purchased by the current owner from Gallery Dresdenere, Montreal 

Uniform craquelure visible in blacks, blues and red in top left corner. Paint appears stable otherwise. Glossy varnish visible on surface. Colours richer and brighter than the catalogue illustration.
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.

'Raza remains characterized by the crossbreeding of the modernity of Europe and America and the spirituality of India. His evolution can be observed in the successive stages that structured his life: at every moment of his thought process, life, nature and their mysteries have been forever present.'  (Michel Imbert, Raza: An Introduction to his Painting, New Delhi, 2003).

Throughout his career Raza has been influenced by the mystical power of nature. The elements and the potency of colors and symbols that represent these elements are central to the evolution of Raza's artistic vocabulary.  In the early years in France, Raza painted the landscapes of Europe in semi-abstracted forms but with identifiable architectural features that provide a constant link to human activity, but as his works progress these identifiable elements disappear.

The 1960s saw Raza move towards less structured compostions where he was, 'no longer concerned with capturing the outward shape of things but their inner rhythm, and in evoking a response in the viewer through the use of appropriate colours.' (Geeti Sen, Bindu, Space and Time in Raza's Vision, New Delhi, 1997, p. 79).   In the artist's own words '... as a painter, I have to realise the ideas, the moods, the sentiments, in a visual language of form and colour.  A painting has to be seen, and to be felt.  It has to be felt -- through all the senses.' (ibid., p. 148).