Lot 603: NARAYAN SHRIDHAR BENDRE (India 1910-1992)

Untitled
signed and dated in Devanagari (lower right)
oil on canvas
36 x 40 1/4 in. (91.4 x 102.2 cm.)

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

Bendre's fascination with landscapes sparked off his artistic career in the 1930s, and remained an important part of his oeuvre. He would constantly travel to new places within India "for the satisfaction of his still persistent wanderlust." (R. Chatterji & N. Bendre, Bendre: The Painter and the Person, Canada, 1990, p. 59.) The present work was probably done after a trip to a coastal fishing town. The idyllic image executed in pastel shades captures the mood perfectly, with boats rocking gently on the water and the gracefully angled coconut trees waving in the breeze.

The artist states, "...for me, the creative process begins with the blank canvas, by the dabbing of paint on it, the aim being to catch the original impact of the total image conceived. Things are nebulous in the beginning, become clearer by manipulating, by the application of more paint, dabbing, scratching, washing off, repainting, till I'm nearer to the original impact." (op. cit., p. 63.)