48-49 / 192
48
49
I
n the early 1960s, Akbar Padamsee
painted village scenes that were
inspired by the French countryside.
Executed in 1963, the two paintings show
houses with roofs typical of rural France,
and the occasional steeple, set against a
vibrant blue sky. In lot 34, architecture
takes precedence over space, with closely
packed houses filling the narrow canvas.
In lot 35, the opposite is true with the
houses occupying the lower half of the
canvas, and the blue sky dominating
the view. The colour palette is notable:
Padamsee’s use of blue, brown, orange
and ochre foreshadows his Metascape
series of the 1970s and 1980s, where he
renders timeless landscapes by exploring
the potential of a restricted palette and
its subtle gradations. The two paintings
mark the beginnings of transition from
landscapes with recognisable architectural
forms, to abstract, expansive landscapes.
Padamsee’s underlying interest in structure
remains a constant throughout.