- 571
Bikash Bhattacharjee
Estimate
40,000 - 60,000 USD
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Description
- Bikash Bhattacharjee
- Untitled
- Signed and dated 'Bikash 93' lower left
- Oil on canvas
- 45½ x 45½ in. (115.5 x 115.5 cm.)
- Painted in 1993
Provenance
Private Collection, India
Saffronart, 18-20 December 2012, lot 22
Saffronart, 18-20 December 2012, lot 22
Condition
There is minor craquelere on the garment of the woman figure in the lower left quadrant, visible only upon close inspection. 2 small nicks and associated pigment loss are visible in the extremities of the lower right quadrant. Intermittent spots of varnish drips in the work are possibly inherent. This work is in overall good condition, as viewed. Colors appear more saturated in print than in reality.
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.
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
Bikash Bhattacharjee is one of India’s finest painters recognized for his mastery of figuration and his Surrealist style. Since the 1960s, he made the lives of average middle-class Bengalis; their aspirations, superstitions, hypocrisy and corruption, the main focus of his paintings. When speaking about his works, Bhattacharjee has said
that they transcend reality and endeavor to make social statements in a direct manner.
‘I see myself as a sort of painter journalist, using paint and canvas as a photo-journalist might use his camera. What I have to say is right there on
the canvas.’ (Indian Painting Today, Jehangir Art Gallery, Bombay, 1981, p. 17) His representations of middle-class Bengali women, as in this current lot, have brought him special critical acclaim.
An exceptional colorist, Bhattacharjee achieved mastery in capturing the quality of light, a time honored skill harkening back to the Dutch Old Masters like Rembrandt and Vermeer. The heightened tonal and textural effects achieved through his mastery of the oil medium, infuse these works with realism and simultaneously capture a mood of foreboding and alienation.
The use of light and shadow creates a three dimensional effect that seems to bring the scene to life, yet the presence of a single solitary woman creates a distance with the viewer and imparts a somber tone to the painting. Both in choice of subjects – people and places of familiarity and in his use of light and shadow, Bhattacharjee is often compared to American realist painter, Andrew Wyeth.
that they transcend reality and endeavor to make social statements in a direct manner.
‘I see myself as a sort of painter journalist, using paint and canvas as a photo-journalist might use his camera. What I have to say is right there on
the canvas.’ (Indian Painting Today, Jehangir Art Gallery, Bombay, 1981, p. 17) His representations of middle-class Bengali women, as in this current lot, have brought him special critical acclaim.
An exceptional colorist, Bhattacharjee achieved mastery in capturing the quality of light, a time honored skill harkening back to the Dutch Old Masters like Rembrandt and Vermeer. The heightened tonal and textural effects achieved through his mastery of the oil medium, infuse these works with realism and simultaneously capture a mood of foreboding and alienation.
The use of light and shadow creates a three dimensional effect that seems to bring the scene to life, yet the presence of a single solitary woman creates a distance with the viewer and imparts a somber tone to the painting. Both in choice of subjects – people and places of familiarity and in his use of light and shadow, Bhattacharjee is often compared to American realist painter, Andrew Wyeth.