Important Notice

Born in 1894 in Bengal, Hemendranath Mazumdar was one of the most sought-after figurative artists of the early 20th century. With a painting style that sustained the traditions of European academic realism, Mazumdar was widely recognised for his compositions that focussed on the sensuality of the female form, as seen in the present lot. His works featuring sari- clad or semi-nude women, popularly intensified by the ‘drenched- sari’... Born in 1894 in Bengal, Hemendranath Mazumdar was one of the most sought-after figurative artists of the early 20th century. With a painting style that sustained the traditions of European academic realism, Mazumdar was widely recognised for his compositions that focussed on the sensuality of the female form, as seen in the present lot. His works featuring sari- clad or semi-nude women, popularly intensified by the ‘drenched- sari’ look, resonated with the Bengali middle class in the 1920s and ‘30s, and garnered the attention of many high-profile patrons, including the Maharajas of Jaipur, Kashmir, Bikaner, Patiala, Cooch Bihar, and other princely states.

Mazumdar emerged as an artist of repute around the time when the Abanindranath Tagore-led Bengal School of Art was beginning to lose its urgency and relevance. His style “famously rejected the subdued, sentimental style of the Bengal School in favour of European classical realism, thus seeking a contemporary language that had a sense of immediacy and warmth.” (Poonam Baid quoted in Kishore Singh ed., “Hemen Majumdar,” Masterpieces of Indian Modern Art, New Delhi: DAG, 2016, p. 273) As seen in the present lot, his style, as well as his artistic techniques, were rooted in the traditional academic style favoured by the British, “where first the preparatory sketch is made, then a more detailed pencil and wash study, followed by the final painting.” (Singh ed., p. 273)

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