50-51 / 256
50
Saffronart | Evening Sale
FROM THE COLLECTION OF
MR. AND MRS. CHARLES D ALEXANDER
A A Raiba was born in 1922 in Bombay, and enrolled
at the Sir J J School of Arts in 1942, studying miniature
painting techniques. On the advice of Langhammer, he
went to Kashmir between 1957 and 1959, and the valley
“informed a substantial part of Raiba’s art practice. He
drew frequent allusions to humans, animals and folk motifs
that he witnessed in the temples of Jammu and Himachal
Pradesh. This was the period when he shifted his focus on
the imagery of landscapes, nudes and still‒life.” (
Critical
Collective
,
9 May 2016, online) He developed an interest
in the history of the Konkani community which was once
ruled by the Abyssinian Dynasty of Murud and Janjira. Kings
were a favourite subject in his art, as seen in the present lot.
Dummy King
,
with its bright colours and a bold, distinct
style, was painted after the artist returned to Mumbai in
the early 1960s. Its sharp, angular shapes and thick black
lines recall the “Post‒Impressionist Cloissonism style,
parallel to the works of Paul Gauguin.” (
Critical Collective
)
The pained expression of the king, and his contorted
posture and gestures, make for a powerful figurative
painting. He holds a silver vase in one hand and makes
what might be a
mudra
with his other hand. The present
lot gains significance when viewed in tandem with
prevailing artistic preoccupations, which were veering
away from figuration.
With an avid interest in Indian art and an eye to encouraging young artists, the Alexanders acquired lots 17, 18 and
19 during their stay in India from 1962 to 1967.
Charles D Alexander, Managing Director of Precision Bearing India Ltd. at a foundation laying ceremony in Gujarat on 21 April 1963.
Image courtesy of the Alexander family
51
PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE
FRENCH COLLECTION
17
A A RAIBA
(1922 ‒ 2016)
Dummy King
Signed and dated ‘Raiba 67’ (lower right)
1967
Oil on canvas
36.5 x 20 in (92.4 x 50.5 cm)
Rs 7,00,000 ‒ 9,00,000
$ 10,610 ‒ 13,640
PROVENANCE:
From the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Charles
D Alexander
A A Raiba
© A A Raiba and Clark House Initiative
In 2012, Clark House Initiative
organised an exhibition to rekindle
an interest in Raiba’s work, with an
attempt to replicate the international
model where artists receive a royalty
on the resale of their artwork. The
following year, a retrospective of
Raiba’s work was held at the Sir J J
School of Arts. Raiba passed away in
Mumbai on 15 April 2016 at the age
of 93.