| Medium | : | Tempera |
|---|---|---|
| Height | : | 12 inch / 30.5 cm |
| Width | : | 9.5 inch / 24.1 cm |
| Dimension | : | W: 24.1 cm × H: 30.5 cm |
A striking Jamini Roy tempera on board depicting a seated devotional figure framed by a folk-inspired border. With bold outlines, flat planes of color, and rhythmic symmetry, the work reflects Roy’s signature blend of Bengal folk traditions and modernist aesthetics, making it a spiritually evocative collectible.
Jamini Roy | Untitled | Tempera on Board | 12 x 9.5 inches | Circa
This painting by Jamini Roy is a fine example of his reinterpretation of traditional folk and devotional imagery through a modernist lens. Executed in tempera on board, the composition depicts a seated figure in a meditative posture, rendered in bold outlines and flat planes of color. The figure, with almond-shaped elongated eyes, stylized ornaments, and symmetrical form, reflects the influence of Bengal’s patachitra tradition, while the rich red and yellow palette adds vibrancy and spiritual warmth. The decorative border surrounding the composition reinforces the folk aesthetic, making the work both devotional and ornamental. Roy’s simplification of form into geometric clarity not only pays homage to indigenous visual language but also elevates it into the realm of modern Indian art.
One of india’s most loved artists, Jamini Roy is remembered for forging a unique indian aesthetic for modern art by bringing together elements of traditional bengali folk art and kalighat patachitras, rendered in clean lines and earthy colours.
Born on 11 April 1887 in a landowning family in Bankura district of Bengal, Roy trained in European academic-realist painting at the Government College of Arts and Crafts, Calcutta, and began his career painting landscapes and portraits.
Soon, moving away from these, he started experimenting with a more indigenous visual vocabulary. Level surfaces, flattening of design in depth, and the use of dissonant primary colours were aspects of folk painting that Roy incorporated in his work. Also, he took up the volumetric forms of the Kalighat patachitras. However, unlike the spontaneous brushwork of the traditional patuas, Roy’s lines were more restrained and precisely delineated.
Roy would paint several versions of a subject, breaking and reforming the theme over months. Turning his family into a production unit, he tried to emulate a craft-guild mode of artistic production. He painted on a wide range of themes—common people, mythological tales, Christian iconography, as well as visual characteristics of home-sewn Bengal quilts and Byzantine icons.
Roy was awarded the Viceroy’s gold medal in 1935, the Padma Bhushan in 1955, and elected a fellow of the Lalit Kala Akademi in 1956. Declared a National Treasure artist in 1976, his works cannot be exported. He passed away on 24 April 1972.
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