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Lot 40

 

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As a female artist who came from a small village outside of Nagpur, Prabha was concerned with the plight of rural and marginalised women, and spent much of her career documenting them. Speaking of the influence of Sher-Gil on her work, Prabha said, "At that time, there were not too many women painters (in India). I respected Amrita Sher Gil a lot. My ambition was to become a renowned painter (just like her) and to take my paintings to all... As a female artist who came from a small village outside of Nagpur, Prabha was concerned with the plight of rural and marginalised women, and spent much of her career documenting them. Speaking of the influence of Sher-Gil on her work, Prabha said, "At that time, there were not too many women painters (in India). I respected Amrita Sher Gil a lot. My ambition was to become a renowned painter (just like her) and to take my paintings to all corners of the world." (As quoted in "A peep into artist B. Prabha's oeuvre and her inspirations," The Arts Trust, online) Prabha developed her own signature style, working mainly with oils.

The monochrome blue tone of the composition is typical of Prabha's palette. A dominant subject in her work, the fisherwoman, depicted in the present lot, bears an elongated and almost regal form, a characteristic style that the artist employs in rendering many of her female figures. The demure countenance and downcast eyes show up time and again in Prabha's women. They speak volumesabout the kind of quiet dignity the women adopt in the face of hardships and oppression.

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