The Surya Collection: Property from Mrs. Ute Rettberg

The Surya Collection: Property from Mrs. Ute Rettberg

View full screen - View 1 of Lot 49. Untitled.

Lot Closed

May 31, 01:49 PM GMT

Estimate

1,200 - 1,800 GBP

Lot Details

Description

Mahasundri Devi

1922-2013

Untitled


Ink on paper

Signed and inscribed in Devanagari on reverse

55.9 x 76.2 cm. (22 x 30 in.)

Acquired from Handicraft & Handlooms Export Corporation, New Delhi, 1975

Mahasundari Devi was considered a living legend of painting for her beautiful work and her lifelong commitment to the craft. When she was 39, Devi left the purdah system, veiling practices that enforce women’s seclusion from society, to follow her own path as an artist. She founded an artist society called Mithila Hastashilp Kalakar Audyogki Sahyog Samiti as a way to encourage the growth and development of handicrafts and artists. Devi was a fearless force in the Madhubani artist community with a mission to inspire future generations to empower themselves through the arts. She was recognized for her activism and painting in 2011 when she received the Padma Shri for her contributions to the field of art. The current lot reveals striking details, and is rendered through a kaleidoscope of intricate patterns and natural color.