Untitled (Celestial Beauties Playing Musical Instruments)

Influenced by the Bengal School artists, one of whom—Shailendra Nath De—he considered his guru, Ramgopal Vijaivargiya’s work incorporated all that was professed by the school’s proponents—Indian myths as subject matter, materials and techniques, as well as a nod to pan-Asian art in the form of Japanese wash technique. This Untitled work, recalling a similar painting by Abanindranath Tagore, depicts a group of celestial musicians—apsaras and minstrels, travelling to an unknown destination through wispy clouds. The figuration, costumes and jewellery is unmistakably inspired by the Ajanta frescoes, another trope celebrated by the Bengal School.