NARAYAN SHRIDHAR BENDRE (1908–1991) – UNTITLED VILLAGE SCENE, WATERCOLOR ON PAPER

NARAYAN SHRIDHAR BENDRE (1908–1991) WAS ONE OF INDIA’S MOST CELEBRATED MODERNISTS, RENOWNED FOR HIS POETIC DEPICTIONS OF RURAL LIFE AND HIS DISTINCTIVE USE OF COLOR AND LINE. A PIONEER OF THE PROGRESSIVE ART MOVEMENT, BENDRE SUCCESSFULLY BRIDGED INDIAN THEMES WITH MODERNIST SENSIBILITIES, LEAVING AN ENDURING LEGACY IN INDIAN ART HISTORY.

THIS WATERCOLOR ON PAPER PRESENTS A LYRICAL VILLAGE SCENE, AN ENDURING SUBJECT IN BENDRE’S OEUVRE. THE COMPOSITION CAPTURES THE RHYTHM OF RURAL LIFE THROUGH FLUID BRUSHWORK, SOFT EARTHY TONES, AND A HARMONIOUS INTERPLAY OF FIGURES, ANIMALS, AND LANDSCAPE. THE ARTIST’S ECONOMY OF LINE AND TRANSPARENT WASHES EVOKE BOTH MOVEMENT AND TRANQUILITY, REFLECTING HIS MATURE STYLE.

EXECUTED IN WATERCOLOR ON PAPER, THE WORK DEMONSTRATES BENDRE’S MASTERFUL CONTROL OF THE MEDIUM, WHERE LIGHT, SPACE, AND NARRATIVE COALESCE SEAMLESSLY. THE SCENE IS AN EVOCATIVE TESTAMENT TO HIS ABILITY TO TRANSFORM EVERYDAY RURAL MOMENTS INTO TIMELESS VISUAL POETRY.

ARTIST: NARAYAN SHRIDHAR BENDRE (INDIAN, 1908–1991)

TITLE: UNTITLED (VILLAGE SCENE)

MEDIUM: WATERCOLOR ON PAPER

SIZE: 21 × 9.5 INCHES

YEAR: CIRCA MID 20TH CENTURY

AUTHENTICATION: ACCOMPANIED BY AN AUTHENTICATION LETTER CONFIRMING THE WORK AS GENUINE BY DR. SHRIDHAR ANDHARE, GOVERNMENT APPROVED VALUER OF WORKS OF ART

PROVENANCE: INDIAN PRIVATE COLLECTION

THESE WORKS ARE HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER, MUCH LIKE THOSE BY RENOWNED ARTISTS SUCH AS M.F. HUSAIN, S.H. RAZA, F.N. SOUZA, AKBAR PADAMSEE, HEMENDRANATH MAZUMDAR, RAM KUMAR, JAMINI ROY, B. PRABHA, TYEB MEHTA, AND MANY OTHERS. THEY ARE OFTEN SOLD BY AUCTIONEERS TO COLLECTORS AROUND THE GLOBE

THE DOCUMENT IS SIGNED BY SHRIDHAR ANDHARE, WITH THE DATE 23/8/2016. HIS PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS AND POSITIONS ARE LISTED, INCLUDING FORMER CURATOR AT THE PRINCE OF WALES MUSEUM, FORMER DIRECTOR OF L. D. MUSEUM, AND ASSOCIATION WITH N. C. MEHTA GALLERY.