Sailoz Mookherjea

Acquired in New Delhi by a Swedish envoy, circa early 1950s

Thence by descent

Hailed as a pioneer of Indian modernism, Sailoz Mookherjea was posthumously honored in 1979 by the government as one of the nine National Treasure artists, a group regarded for their contribution to the country’s art. Mookherjea earned his diploma in Fine Arts from the Government School of Art in Calcutta in 1932, where he studied under the founder of the Bengal School, Abanindranath Tagore. He later pursued studies in Paris, where artists such as Henri Matisse influenced his gradual simplification of form and use of a vibrant palette.

Upon his return to India around the 1940s, Mookherjea settled in Delhi, distancing himself from the modernist movements emerging in Bengal and reconnecting with folk art traditions. Drawing inspiration from Basohli miniature paintings, the artist developed a distinctive style that depicted idyllic rural scenes rooted in Indian imagery, while also reflecting the influence of European Expressionism, characterized by bold pigments and free brushwork.

The present lot shows a pastoral scene featuring women dressed in vibrant saris, seemingly engaged in the act of picking fruits and flowers under the shade of a tree. Breaking away from traditional earthy tones, the artist introduced a striking palette of bright blues, reds, and oranges in the foliage and grassy ground, evoking a sense of warmth and abundance. Positioned at the forefront of the composition, a dog stands still behind the two central figures, gazing in their direction as if peacefully observing their actions. The silhouettes of other women emerge in the distance, softer and slightly blurred as nature appears to extend endlessly toward the horizon. The expressive brushstrokes, colorful palette and simple village backdrop gracefully educe themes of rural serenity and harmony with nature, subjects that were central to Mookherjea's artistic vision.

'When [Mookherjea] paints, what he attempts to do is not to demonstrate an abstract theory but to present, like Amrita Sher-Gil, his own country, and his own people as he sees them. The India that emerges in his hands is as intimately Indian as the India we all love, whatever be the forms to which he may reduce her.' (A. S. Raman, Sailoz, Dhoomi Mal Dharam Das, New Delhi, c. 1950, p. 6)