The Edge of the Canal, Malabar

This impressionist rendition of a canal in Malabar—the lush Kerala coast—is an unusual depiction of the region that has long remained a muse for creative souls. The sunny disposition of this canvas is a true homage to the lush vegetation, boats on the backwaters, and thatched houses of the Malabar coast that K. C. S. Paniker created with rigorous authenticity in a style that he would soon abandon to root his quest in Indian-ness, and more specifically in the traditions of South India. In doing so, he would become the progenitor of what would come to be known as the Madras Movement.