Ara was renowned for his masterly renditions of the female body and the `black nude` remains a particular favorite in his repertoire of images. Despite the ostensible eroticism of the theme, Ara`s nudes do not necessarily express sensuality. They form part of an investigation into the possibilities of pictorial space. "Most of them were massive bodies, usually with their backs to the viewer. The folds of flesh rarely arouse...
Ara was renowned for his masterly renditions of the female body and the `black nude` remains a particular favorite in his repertoire of images. Despite the ostensible eroticism of the theme, Ara`s nudes do not necessarily express sensuality. They form part of an investigation into the possibilities of pictorial space. "Most of them were massive bodies, usually with their backs to the viewer. The folds of flesh rarely arouse any tenderness or titillation…they create a feeling of spreading largess that can take over the entire picture space." (p. 135, Y. Dalmia, "The Stillness of Life", The Making of Modern Indian Art, OUP, 2001)
Ara`s art carves a middle-path between the three dimensionality of Realist painting and the Modernist involvement with the flat surface of the canvas. While this work does not embody the attention to scientific perspective, characteristic of artists under British rule, Ara`s unique use of watercolor allows for a suggestion of depth. Here, the lush curves of the woman`s figure are evoked through the careful use of white. "The strange disorientation caused by Ara`s nudes is a result of his affinity for the classical, which he conflated with his modernism." (p. 140, Ibid.)