Meera Mukherjee

Acquired directly from the artist by Georg and Hannelore Lechner, circa 1965

Thence by descent

Georg and Hannelore Lechner lived in Kolkata from 1965–69. Georg Lechner was the director of the Max Mueller Bhavan. It was in Kolkata where they met Meera Mukherjee and a close friendship was formed. After Kolkata, Georg Lechner directed the Max Mueller Bhavans in New Delhi (1969–73), in Mumbai (1980–86), and again in New Delhi (1992–95). In Mumbai, he curated the exhibition Meera Mukherjee and the Goethe Institut in 1986.

'Dr Lechner, who appreciated her work greatly, called her 'an Indian artist of Expressionism' and invited her to hold the first of what would be a number of exhibitions across the Goethe Instituts in India.' ('Timeline | Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan Mumbai', Goethe-Institut, 2025, www.goethe.de)

Meera Mukherjee: Purity of Vision, Akar Prakar, New Delhi, 2018, illustration p. 80

Meera Mukherjee is one of India’s foremost sculptors whose work challenges the distinction between folk and fine art. Born in Calcutta in 1923 and having studied in Europe, Mukherjee returned to India and was introduced to dhokra sculptures made by the indigenous Gharua artists in Chattisgarh. After this encounter, she would spend her life learning from and working with them, embracing their detailed aesthetic. The craftspeople’s ingenuity and dedication, using rudimentary tools and ancient techniques to transform their ideas into metal, deeply inspired the artist and she was influenced by their struggle to preserve their traditions. This interface with tribal art and the artisans themselves was an awakening that bolstered her creative production and folk idiom subject matter.

“Kings have followed kings through the rise and fall of dynasties but the tireless hands of artisans have not stopped in their works. How could such a thing happen? Was it due to ‘Dhyan’ the unflinching concentration of the mind?” (M. Mukherjee, In Search of Viswakarma, Abaad, Calcutta, 1994, p. 9)

The present lot is a captivating sculpture that portrays a playful, reclining figure lying on its side. The head rests perfectly in the right hand, the necklaces drooping towards the base, imbuing the work with a sense of motion. From a bold left shoulder extends a strong arm, resting on the knee of the figure’s crossed legs. Gentle curves are plentiful – the waves of the hair, the beads of the choker, the rounded fingers and eyebrows, the ankle – but perhaps the most wonderful curve is the figure’s smile. The present lot is a quintessential example of Mukherjee’s ability to capture the essence of a fleeting moment of play and rest, carving life into otherwise lifeless metal.

‘Meera Mukherjee’s creative endeavour, whether sculptural, or painted or drawn, are qualified by the essence of spontaneity, by their rootedness in life and a direct engagement with the same. From her own recollections it becomes evident that this has been a nearly silent and imperceptible process where she picked up the art-life interconnection from the otherwise apparently mundane rhythm of daily existence.’ (N. Ghosh, ‘Introduction’ in Meera Mukherjee: Purity of Vision, Akar Prakar, New Delhi, 2018, p. 13)

Sotheby's set the international auction house record for the artist in New York in 2022 with Untitled (Mango Orchard), achieving $226,800 against an estimate of $80,000 - 120,000. This season, we are excited to bring this work to market for the first time to further showcase the artistic excellence and aesthetic strength of Mukherjee's practice.