BHUPEN KHAKHAR (1934-2003)

UNTITLED (TWO MEN ON A WHITE HORSE AND RECLINING FIGURE)
OIL ON CANVAS
36 X 36 INCHES
SIGNED AND DATED IN GUJARATI, LOWER RIGHT

A STRIKING NARRATIVE WORK BY BHUPEN KHAKHAR, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT VOICES IN INDIAN MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART AND THE FIRST INDIAN ARTIST TO BE FEATURED AT DOCUMENTA. TWO WHITE-HAIRED NUDE MEN RIDE A GRAZING WHITE HORSE ACROSS A SMALL PATCH OF GREEN, FLOATING ABOVE A DARK, EARTHY MIDDLE GROUND. BELOW, A THIRD NUDE ELDERLY FIGURE LIES STRETCHED OUT ON HIS STOMACH, PEELING A BANANA. THE RUST-RED SKY AND DEEP BROWN-BLACK EARTH FRAME THE FIGURES IN A DREAMLIKE, TWO-TIER COMPOSITION. THE WORK SHOWS KHAKHAR'S TRADEMARK BLEND OF TENDERNESS, HUMOUR AND ALLEGORY, AND HIS FRANK, UNIDEALISED TREATMENT OF THE AGEING MALE BODY.

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