Krishnaji Howlaji Ara (1914-1985) Untitled (Nude) signed 'Ara' lower left watercolour on paper, framed 74.5 x 54cm (29 5/16 x 21 1/4in). Footnotes: Provenance Property from a private collection, India. Acquired from Saffron Art, Auction May 2006, 10-11th May 2006, lot 101. Ara, a founding member of the Progressive Artists' Group, was, in the words of critic Nissim Ezekiel, the first contemporary Indian painter to approach the female nude with meticulous care, remaining firmly within the bounds of naturalism. Supporting himself as a car cleaner and developing his skills as a self-taught painter in his spare time, Ara came to the attention of art critics Rudy von Leyden and Walter Langhammer, who recognised his talent and encouraged him to pursue a career in art. Finally devoting himself fully to painting, Ara began in the 1930s and 1940s to create early works of villagers and rural landscapes, which earned him recognition from the Bombay Art Society and the Governor's Prize. As his practice matured, Ara concentrated on a few recurring subjects, refining the distinctive style for which he is now celebrated. These included still lifes and the female nude. His nudes fuse the monumental grace of Indian sculpture with the dynamism and freedom of Western modernism, establishing a uniquely Indian modernist idiom. In this present work, Untitled (Nude), Ara's treatment of the nude moves slightly beyond his usual naturalism. The figure, outlined in a firm black line, the figure, hands held to the breast and head in profile, assumes an almost sculptural goddess-like posture, emphasising the timeless themes of femininity, nudity, and form. Through the simplification of forms, the scale of the body, and the modernist treatment, Ara transforms this rare depiction of a female nude into an idiomatic image, balancing abstraction with his signature modern naturalism. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: * * VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing