PAKHAL TIRUMAL REDDY | A Gulmohar Tree

Acquired directly from the artist by a French Diplomat stationed in India, late 1960s
Acquired from the above

A. S. Raman, 40 Years of P T Reddy, Andhra Pradesh Council of Artists, Hyderabad, 1982, illustration unpaginated

Cracking and losses to the paint are visible throughout. The upper left corner of the board appears to have been previously repaired. Light frame rubbing is present along the edges and small fly spots are apparent under close scrutiny. The surface of the painting has been varnished, giving the work a glossy and even appearance. Please note this work has not been inspected outside its frame. UV LIGHT: Minor retouchings fluoresce throughout under UV light.
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Pakhal Tiramul Reddy was born in 1915 in the small village of Annaram. He won the P. J. Reddy Scholarship at the Sir J. J. School of Art and Architecture in Bombay in 1935. He then gave up painting to pursue various endeavours in design and theatre, returning to his former art form in 1956.  Reddy’s œuvre presents a diverse range of figurative works, landscapes, and tantric illustrations, across a variety of media. The present work depicts a stylised landscape, painted in rich blues, reds and oranges. A small village building, formed of stark angular blocks and lines, is shown at dusk, shielded from view by a vibrant red Gulmohar tree. Speaking of his artistic practice, Reddy notes the influence of Indian tradition – “Ajanta, miniatures, folk art” – and the western Modernist masters: “The moderns no doubt have made a terrific impact on me. Particularly Picasso. And abstractionists too. Kandinsky, for example. He has taken the post-Impressionist argument to its logical conclusion. You know how? By simplifying Nature. Abstract art is closest to Nature, you see. Kandinsky’s colour sense is simply wonderful.” (P. T. Reddy quoted in A. S. Raman, P. T. Reddy, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, 1992, unpaginated)