Important Notice

“Landscapes that were in the backdrop in the figurative works came to the forefront.” – RAM KUMAR

The present lot represents an important phase in the evolution of Ram Kumar’s landscapes, marked by the disappearance of human figures.

Kumar’s paintings from the 1950s were primarily figurative works revealing his view of the pathos of the human condition. His subjects were lost, helpless faces depicted drifting “through a... “Landscapes that were in the backdrop in the figurative works came to the forefront.” – RAM KUMAR

The present lot represents an important phase in the evolution of Ram Kumar’s landscapes, marked by the disappearance of human figures.

Kumar’s paintings from the 1950s were primarily figurative works revealing his view of the pathos of the human condition. His subjects were lost, helpless faces depicted drifting “through a landscape determined by pylons and overhead cables.” (Ranjit Hoskote, “The Poet of The Visionary Landscape,” Gagan Gill ed., Ram Kumar: A Journey Within, New Delhi: Vadehra Art Gallery, 1996, p. 37)

However, by the end of the decade, the figure was increasingly relegated to the margins, and then eventually completely eliminated from his works.

The present lot, as well as lot 53, are from this stage in Kumar’s career, when what once constituted the background in his paintings - “the shadowy outlines of dilapidated houses, a floating glimpse of the city roots, the vertical thrust of an electric pole suddenly surged forward, pushing the figures on to the edges, occupying the central stage, as it were.” (Ibid, p.23) Depicting several architectural forms in a sombre colour palette, the present lot is also representative of the brief period before Kumar’s turn to abstraction.

The present lot is believed to have been exhibited at the Bienal de São Paulo in 1959. Kumar, who was among the few Indian artists to have also been invited to the biennale, also received an “Honorable Mention for Painting” for the same.

COLLECTOR’S PROFILE:

Sripat Rai, the elder son of Munshi Premchand, was a painter who held several solo shows at the Kunika- Chemould gallery and at AIFACS in the 1960s. Rai was a close friend of Ram Kumar’s, and hosted both Kumar and Husain at his family house during their visit to Varanasi in the early 1960s. Kumar also stayed at a bungalow rented by Rai in Ranikhet during summers in the late 1950s and early 60s, and spent his days painting along with Rai.

Besides being a close friend of Kumar’s, Rai was also his publisher and was responsible for bringing out the former’s short story collections in Hindi through his publishing house, Saraswati Press. The present lot was gifted to Rai as a mark of their friendship, and was later inherited by his children.

Read More
Artist Profile
Other works of this artist in: this auction  |  entire site