Untitled

Using mere lines, Nandalal Bose, one of India’s nine National Treasure artists, created figures of great beauty and gravitas, drawing from common everyday scenes and situations. It was his way of documenting life as it was lived around him, creating chronicles for future generations. This Untitled work—unusually large for the genre—captures the idol of Nataraja (Lord Shiva in the form of a cosmic dancer) commonly found in almost every Hindu household. It’s the detailing of the work—capturing intricate features of the entire sculpture and not just the idol—with neat, clean lines, that reveals the genius of its creator.