Lot 176: NARAYAN SHRIDHAR BENDRE (1910 - 1992)

NARAYAN SHRIDHAR BENDRE (1910 - 1992) Untitled Signed and dated in Devanagari lower right Oil on canvas 47 3/8 x 30 7/8 in. (120.4 x 78.9 cm.)

VARIOUS PROPERTIES After his return to Mumbai in 1966, Bendre returned to figurative painting, after a brief interlude with abstraction. Even while experimenting with Western painting styles such as Cubism or Pointillism, his choice of subjects remained closely linked to his surroundings and to India as a whole. Throughout his career, Bendre was drawn to representing rural women, either set in landscapes or engaged in various domestic activities. In the present work from 1984, Bendre has chosen to represent two banjaras. The banjaras are the gypsy ladies from Rajasthan who have inhabited the Deccan for the last three hundred years. They are immediately identifiable through their colorful dress and particular choice of jewelry, especially their bangles. There is a sharp contrast in his treatment of the figures and their surroundings. While he has paid considerable attention to the details of the women's accessories and the patterns on their clothes, the background is two-dimensional and devoid of any detailing. The flat mustard background contrasted against the bright red of the women's odhnis perfectly captures a sense of harmony between the two ladies and the young girl and imbues them with a certain timelessness and serenity.