K G Subramanyan
(1924 - 2016)
Janmashtami
K G Subramanyan was a painter, muralist, sculptor, printmaker, as well as a writer and illustrator of children's books. In a constantly evolving artistic career, Subramanyan experimented with a variety of forms, including his well-known reverse glass and acrylic paintings and terracotta murals. The latter, in particular, with their grid-like compositions came to inform his painting style in later years. In the present lot, Subramanyan constructs...
K G Subramanyan was a painter, muralist, sculptor, printmaker, as well as a writer and illustrator of children's books. In a constantly evolving artistic career, Subramanyan experimented with a variety of forms, including his well-known reverse glass and acrylic paintings and terracotta murals. The latter, in particular, with their grid-like compositions came to inform his painting style in later years. In the present lot, Subramanyan constructs a scene, a seemingly non-linear narrative, contained within vertical panels. Janmashtami , as the painting is titled, celebrates the birth of Krishna. The various panels depict endearing stories and the iconography commonly associated with the blue-skinned god, such as Krishna playing the flute, or stealing butter. Indian folk stories, mythic characters, and animals have been the focus of Subramanyan's work since the 1980s, but they were no mere illustrations or representations. "He uses them as metaphors to animate the everyday world in various ways-sometimes in celebration, sometimes in sly irony, and sometimes in gentle indignation." (R Sivakumar, "A Playful and Poetic Vision," Mythologies: K.G. Subramanyan, Kolkata: Galerie 88, 2013, p. 8)
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Lot
40
of
65
EVENING SALE | MUMBAI, LIVE
13 MARCH 2018
Estimate
Rs 1,50,00,000 - 2,00,00,000
$234,375 - 312,500
Winning Bid
Rs 1,74,00,000
$271,875
(Inclusive of Buyer's Premium)
ARTWORK DETAILS
K G Subramanyan
Janmashtami
Initialled twice in Tamil (lower centre); inscribed and dated 'DIPTYCH/ K.G. SUBRAMANYAN/ 2015/ 'JANMASHTAMI'' (on the reverse on both panels)
2015
Acrylic on canvas
47.5 x 96 in (120.6 x 243.7 cm)
(Diptych)
PROVENANCE: Acquired directly from the artist Property of a Gentleman, New Delhi
Category: Painting
Style: Figurative