Jagdish Swaminathan
(1928 - 1994)
Untitled (Bird, Tree and Mountain Series)
Born in Simla, Himachal Pradesh in 1928, the influence of the art traditions of that region is apparent in Jagdish Swaminathan's work. The present lot is rendered in a warm, vivid palette characteristic of the Bird Mountain Tree series, divided into two hemispheres featuring shades of yellow and orange. There is a tonal continuity in the way the three subjects are represented, successfully evoking a sense of harmony in the overall...
Born in Simla, Himachal Pradesh in 1928, the influence of the art traditions of that region is apparent in Jagdish Swaminathan's work. The present lot is rendered in a warm, vivid palette characteristic of the Bird Mountain Tree series, divided into two hemispheres featuring shades of yellow and orange. There is a tonal continuity in the way the three subjects are represented, successfully evoking a sense of harmony in the overall composition. The artist explored this series for nearly two decades, finding new combinations to present the three central motifs. "What happens is that when you see a recognisable object, and notice it time and again, then you come to 'feel' its repetition." (Jagdish Swaminathan, Art Etc. News and Views, originally published in Hindi in Ravivar, 1979, online) Swaminathan also had a profound interest in the underlying symbolism of the folk and tribal art of Central India. He experimented with totemic symbols from early societies in a constant quest to simplify, find origins and return to purity. "His structures were elemental, uniquely his own. He conjugated them to create undreamt of images. Hills, birds, insects, plants, water, air, unbuildable buildings but no human beings. Their relationship on the canvas had nothing to do with the laws of this physical world... A rock suspended in mid-air with a sleek bird atop of it, a mountain reflected in a lake which leaves you guessing as to which is which, and steps on a monument leading nowhere." (Krishen Khanna, J Swaminathan: Contemporary Indian Art Series, New Delhi: Lalit Kala Akademi, 1995) The artist once explained that the repetitive elements in this series are symbolic, and representative of larger ideas. "Let us assume the objects painted to be mere props for revealing the idea; the objects in themselves have relevance only as agents and not as themselves. The mind moves through the object to the idea, and through the idea to the object. Thus, the work becomes concrete and abstract at the same time." (J Swaminathan, "The Traditional Numen and Contemporary Art," New Delhi: Lalit Kala Contemporary Number 29, April 1980, p. 11)
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Lot
25
of
40
WINTER LIVE AUCTION: MODERN INDIAN ART
8 DECEMBER 2020
Estimate
$80,000 - 100,000
Rs 58,40,000 - 73,00,000
Winning Bid
$78,000
Rs 56,94,000
(Inclusive of Buyer's Premium)
USD payment only.
Why?
ARTWORK DETAILS
Jagdish Swaminathan
Untitled (Bird, Tree and Mountain Series)
Circa 1980s
Oil on canvas
31.5 x 45.25 in (80 x 114.9 cm)
PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist, circa early 1980s Thence by descent Private Collection, New Delhi
Category: Painting
Style: Abstract
ARTWORK SIZE:
Height of Figure: 6'