NARAYAN SHRIDHAR BENDRE | Untitled (Woman at Work)

Acquired directly from the artist in his studio in Bombay, circa 1991

There are natural surface irregularities throughout, including hair from the artist's brush and the paint has been unevenly applied which appears inherent from the artistic process. Small fly spots are visible most noticeably between the woman's forehead and the trees. This painting is in overall very 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.

Narayan Shridhar Bendre began experimenting with the Pointillism technique after retiring from his post as Dean of M. S. University, Baroda in 1966. By then, he had already been hailed by the Times of India as the leading artist of his generation. His artistic vision became the driving force behind the artists that were to follow in his wake, including Maqbool Fida Husain, whom he briefly taught and helped gain admission to the Sir J. J. School of Art in Mumbai. The depiction of a solitary figure in this composition is a direct stimulus from the works of another pointillist, Georges Seurat for whom the treatment of the figure in space was a central issue running all the way through his oeuvre. The village girl in this idyllic landscape is reminiscent of Seurat’s anonymous figures often presented with their backs to the viewer as seen in iconic paintings such as Paysanne assise dans l’herbe (1883). An essential characteristic of Seurat’s figures was that they were isolated, still and withdrawn, however Bendre imparts his own unique take on this genre by incorporating objects, foliage and decorating the garments with stunning detail. This painting, made much later in Bendre’s life and only a year before his death, is from a transitional period in his oeuvre where he abandoned complete pointillism and instead focused on certain aspects while softly blurring others so that the effect is almost one of a photograph with a shallower depth of field. Here, the basket, the trees and the embroidery on the woman’s saree are delicately rendered with the care and attention that has become synonymous with Bendre’s artistic production. Colors are also subtly and masterfully employed, lending an overall harmony to the setting. Bendre once mused, "In this world, one comes across many things, natural and man-made, which are worth painting: trees, birds, water and landscapes, houses and city scenes. Man is the center of my universe along with his emotions, his love, his social intercourse, his surroundings." (N. Bendre, ‘My Painting,’ Bendre, The Painter and The Person, The Bendre Foundation for Art and Culture, Toronto, 1990, p. 63)