Man and Red Devil (Diptych)

The late 1960s was a period of unrest in Bengal with the emergence of the Naxal movement, and works by Calcutta artists of the time started acquiring darker shades, almost as if in reaction to the tumult; this work by Paritosh Sen, too, reflects the disquiet of the times. A diptych, it comprises two canvases bearing two figures, facing away from each other: on the left is a man, shown in a crouched posture with a static and tense stance, and on the right is a red devil, open-armed and teeth bared. Besides being a comment upon the times, it could also be a depiction of a man’s public persona vis-à-vis his evil alter ego.