Untitled (Dancer)

Inspired by wide-ranging techniques such as Bengal quilting (kantha), temple terracotta relief panels, Byzantine mosaics, and Kalighat patachitras, Jamini Roy evolved his own modernist vocabulary that was indigenous in origin. He often used woven bamboo as his canvas not only from the economical point of view but also to understand how the colour and texture gave it a mosaic-like effect. In this painting, the subject strikes a familiar pose associated with Indian sculptural traditions. The patterned border framing the figure makes the work even more striking.