Bhabesh Chandra Sanyal

Acquired directly from the artist by a Hungarian diplomat and his wife, New Delhi, circa 1953-6

Thence by descent

A pioneering figure in modern Indian art, Bhabesh Chandra Sanyal brought together a strong academic foundation with an intuitive approach to figuration. Sanyal’s practice remained grounded in a deep engagement with the human condition. He drew quiet power from ordinary life, capturing fragments of intimate moments with a restrained primary palette, flattened planes and a profound sense of empathy. In the present work, a man gazes pensively into the distance, his stillness echoed by the resting cows beside him. The natural landscape is suggested through a green background, the curve of a tree trunk and a single leaf near his feet. The economy of colour is enriched by fine scratches in the pigment, evoking, for example, the texture of a beard. Untitled exemplifies Sanyal’s sensitive treatment of form and introspective tone, revealing a liminal space between realism and modernism that defined much of his output.