Lot 47
  • 47

B. Prabha (1933 - 2001)

Estimate
12,000 - 18,000 USD
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Description

  • B. Prabha
  • Untitled (Kashmir View)
  • Signed 'B. Prabha' in five places
  • Pen, watercolor and gouache on paper
  • 7 1/2 by 27 in. (19 by 68.6 cm)
  • Executed in 1965

Condition

There are pinhole sized spots of foxing in the unpainted areas of the paper consistent with age. This painting is in 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.
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.

Catalogue Note

This panoramic composition by B. Prabha is one of the most intricate and expansive works from her important Kashmir series of the mid 1960s. As is characteristic of her most important works, this painting depicts working classes in the throes of their occupations. These people -- including fisherman, vendors, and families -- are quietly revered, their importance shown by the relatively large scale of the figures in relation to the landscape composition. Though she was a Maharashtrian artist from Bombay, B. Prabha carefully noted details of the dress and landscape of Kashmir in this work, as reflected for example in the detailed jewelry of the women. B. Prabha was one of the foremost female modernists in India after Independence, with her powerful representations of working-class women imbuing them with dignity and unusual grace.  It is interesting to note that this painting has been signed in five different places, almost as if the panoramic vignettes depicted therein constitute individual paintings.