The true success of Jamini Roy’s art lies in it being the most beloved of all art that has been created in modern India—even in contemporary times, his style remains the most identified among all Indian artists. The elements of his art that have made it so endearing are on display in this Untitled work—folk stylisation, earthy colours and neat lines that lend strength to the picture. The central figure of the Manasa goddess evokes the simplicity of life and celebration in rural India. The goddess, as the presiding deity of serpents, is seated atop a reptile while half-a-dozen others peep from behind; the accompanying figures too have reptilian characteristics.
published references
Singh, Kishore, ed., The Art of Bengal (New Delhi: DAG, 2012), ill. p. 216
Singh, Kishore, ed., Indian Divine: Gods and Goddesses in 19th and 20th Century Modern Art (New Delhi: DAG, 2014), ill. p. 335
Singh, Kishore, ed., Indian Modern Art: A Visual History (New Delhi: DAG, 2016), ill. p. 136
Jamini Roy
Untitled
Tempera on board
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Jamini Roy
Untitled
Tempera on board
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