Sita Devi

In 1969, Madhubani painting received its long overdue recognition when Sita Devi, one of the art form's early pioneers, was granted an award by the government of Bihar. Devi was an artist in residence at the National Handicrafts and Handlooms Museum in New Delhi and in 1975, she received the National Award. In 1981, she was awarded the Padma Shri and in 1984, she received the Bihar Ratna Samman.

Devi's paintings depict traditional Indian subjects through arresting patterns and vibrant hues. Though she was illiterate, she painted in a visual language that combined colour, mythology, heritage, and womanhood. The present lot is an exquisite example of Devi’s unique ability to blend tradition and modernity together in vivid colour.

During the course of her career, Devi's work has been exhibited in more than ten countries. They are also in the permanent collections of the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris and the Mithila Museum in Japan to name a few international institutions.