KATTINGERI KRISHNA HEBBAR (1911-1996)UNTITLED (SKETCH)PENCIL ON PAPERLENGTH X WIDTH OF EACH: 40 X 33.5 CM

A SPONTANEOUS STUDY SHEET BY KATTINGERI KRISHNA HEBBAR, THE CELEBRATED INDIAN MODERNIST KNOWN FOR HIS LYRICAL, FLUID DRAUGHTSMANSHIP AND SENSITIVE PORTRAYAL OF THE HUMAN FIGURE, IN WHICH SEVERAL QUICK HEAD STUDIES OF A YOUNG MAN ARE SKETCHED ACROSS A SINGLE PAGE. THE UPPER STUDY SHOWS THE SITTER IN PROFILE, WITH TOUSLED HAIR AND A FIRM, ATTENTIVE GAZE, WHILE A SECOND HEAD BELOW IS TURNED AWAY AND SHADED MORE LOOSELY, AND A FAINT FRAGMENT OF A THIRD STUDY APPEARS AT THE RIGHT EDGE. THE LINES ARE QUICK, ECONOMICAL AND CONFIDENT, WITH LIGHT HATCHING USED TO SUGGEST THE PLANES OF THE FACE AND THE VOLUME OF THE HAIR, GIVING THE SHEET THE IMMEDIACY OF AN ARTIST’S WORKING NOTEBOOK. THE WORK REFLECTS HEBBAR’S LIFELONG COMMITMENT TO DRAWING AS THE FOUNDATION OF HIS ART, AND HIS ABILITY TO CAPTURE CHARACTER AND EXPRESSION WITH A MINIMUM OF MARKS.