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The present lot was painted in 1975 during Raza’s transition from gestural
painting to geometric abstraction. Raza made frequent trips to India during
this time, and Indian landscapes became the dominant theme in his work
during the 1970s. “Nature became to Raza something not to be observed or
to be imagined but something to be experienced in the very act of putting
paint on canvas.” (Rudolf von Leyden, “Metamorphosis,”
Raza
, Mumbai:
Chemould Publications and Arts, 1985) In this painting, the loose brushwork is
set within a frame composed of bands of colour. This technique harks back to
the tradition of Rajasthani miniature painting, in which scenes were set within
frames of solid colour. The painting is unmistakably Indian in its earthy colours
which are reminiscent of the North Indian landscapes of Madhya Pradesh and
Rajasthan with which Raza was intimately familiar. Raza’s structuring of lighter
colours amidst dark swatches reveals his precise thinking and knowledge of
colour theory, even while composing an abstract landscape.
PROPERTY FROM A CORPORATE COLLECTION,
NEW DELHI
15
S H RAZA
(1922 ‒ 2016)
Untitled
Signed and dated 'RAZA 1975' (on the reverse)
1975
Acrylic on canvas
19.5 x 19.5 in (49.8 x 49.8 cm)
Rs 20,00,000 ‒ 25,00,000
$ 31,750 ‒ 39,685
PROVENANCE:
Acquired from Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi
PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN, NEW DELHI
14
RAM KUMAR
(b. 1924)
Untitled
Signed in Devnagari (lower right); signed and
dated 'Ram Kumar/ 1985' (on the reverse)
1985
Acrylic on paper pasted on canvas
22.75 x 35.5 in (57.5 x 90.3 cm)
Rs 8,00,000 ‒ 10,00,000
$ 12,700 ‒ 15,875
PROVENANCE:
Acquired directly from the artist