Untitled

The most defining aspect of Jamini Roy’s works is their ability to entrance. As one probes what makes his art so endearing and timeless, the reasons are not too far to find. When looking for a more Indianised vocabulary upon discarding his Western training in art, Roy turned to folk artists—patuas—and adopted their ageless idiom. He infused it with his personalised modernist sensibility to create works that became the most sought after—and continue to be so—among all genres of Indian art. This Untitled work captures a woman in shringara rasa pose from classical dance but it’s her everydayness, evident through use of earth colours in easily recognisable stylisation, that makes her so relatable.