38-39 / 160
PROPERTY OF A DISTINGUISHED GENTLEMAN, MUMBAI
35
V S GAITONDE
(1924 ‒ 2001)
Untitled
Signed and dated in Devnagari (lower right)
1985
Ink on paper
10.5 x 7.75 in (26.5 x 19.5 cm)
$ 28,125 ‒ 34,375
Rs 18,00,000 ‒ 22,00,000
PROVENANCE:
Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai
In the mid‒1980s, V S Gaitonde’s
artistic
practice
changed
drastically because of an accident
that caused him to take a nearly
eight year hiatus from painting
on canvas. Gaitonde turned his
attention to smaller format works
on paper, as seen in the present
lot. “His ink drawings from 1985–
87...form an important part of
his overall oeuvre and consist
of nonmimetic calligraphic and
hieroglyphic markings made
with
spontaneous
gestures
and rhythmic movements. The
draftsman of old returns in these
works, and encounters the artist
who has complete control over
cadence, tonality and scale. Here
form meets nonform, presence
meets absence, and movement
meets stillness. These works
unveil Gaitonde’s understanding
of the silences of Zen as well as the
dynamics of Tantra.” (Sandhini
Poddar,
V S Gaitonde: Painting as
Process, Painting as Life
, New York:
The Solomon R Guggenheim
Museum, 2014, p. 31)
Gaitonde’s deep interest in Zen
philosophy and the teachings of
J Krishnamurthy were part of a
continuing quest. “For Gaitonde,
painting was not just what
manifested itself on the canvas,
but it was also a deep inner
investigation. Though he might
have forsaken the paint and brush
during this decade, he did not
cease drawing.” (Meera Menezes,
Vasudeo Santu Gaitonde: Sonata
of Solitude
, New Delhi: Bodhana
Arts and Research Foundation,
2016, p. 187)
34
GAGANENDRANATH
TAGORE
(1867 ‒ 1938)
a) Untitled
Pencil on tissue paper
7 x 9 in (17.6 x 22.6 cm)
b) Untitled
Pencil on tissue paper
9.25 x 6.75 in (23.3 x 17.6 cm)
$ 23,440 ‒ 31,250
Rs 15,00,000 ‒ 20,00,000
NON‒EXPORTABLE
NATIONAL ART TREASURE
(Set of two)
PROVENANCE:
Acquired directly from the artist's family, Kolkata
38
39
a
b