ABDULRAHIM APABHAI ALMELKAR (1920-1982)UNTITLED (TWO WOMEN STRINGING FLOWERS)WATERCOLOUR ON PAPERSIGNED IN HINDI21.5 X 25.5 INCHES

A RICHLY DECORATIVE GENRE SCENE BY ABDULRAHIM APABHAI ALMELKAR, THE CELEBRATED INDIAN MODERNIST, IN WHICH TWO SEATED WOMEN ADORNED IN ELABORATE JEWELLERY AND PATTERNED TEXTILES SIT FACING EACH OTHER ON A TILED FLOOR BENEATH A PAIR OF BANANA TREES. ONE WOMAN, WITH A GREEN COMPLEXION, THREADS A NEEDLE TO STRING FLOWERS FROM A BASKET OF BLOSSOMS BESIDE HER, WHILE THE OTHER HOLDS UP A RING-SHAPED HANDHELD MIRROR. A GARLAND OF FLOWERS AND LEAVES IS STRUNG BETWEEN THE TREES, SUGGESTING A FESTIVE OR CEREMONIAL PREPARATION. THE FIGURES ARE RENDERED IN STYLISED, FLATTENED FORMS WITH ALMOND EYES, SHARP PROFILES AND FINELY DETAILED ORNAMENT, DRAWING ON THE LANGUAGE OF INDIAN MINIATURE AND TEMPLE PAINTING. THE MOTTLED CRIMSON AND MAROON BACKGROUND GLOWS BEHIND THE SOFT GREENS, OCHRES, PINKS AND VIOLETS OF THE FIGURES AND THEIR CLOTHING, WHILE THE BANANA TREES, WITH THEIR GEOMETRIC PATTERNED BANDS, FRAME THE COMPOSITION LIKE A STAGE. THE WORK REFLECTS ALMELKAR’S INTEREST IN THE RITUALS AND DAILY LIFE OF WESTERN INDIA AND HIS SYNTHESIS OF TRADITIONAL INDIAN PAINTING WITH A MODERN SENSIBILITY, CELEBRATING FEMININE COMMUNITY AND THE BEAUTY OF TRADITIONAL ADORNMENT.