Modern & Contemporary Indian Art
22nd - 23rd Aug, 2017
Winning Bid
Signed & Dated : Bottom Right
Published : Mrinal Ghosh, Ganesh Pyne Chobi, pg. 217, 1992.
Ganesh Pyne His Life and Times by Ella Datta, Edited by Sathi Basu, Published by Cima, pg. 60, 1998.
Thirst of a Minstrel, The Life and Times of Ganesh Pyne by Shiladitya Sarkar, pg. 40-41, 2005.
Ganesh Pyne A Pilgrim in the Dominion of Shadows by Gallery 88, pg. 41, 2005.
Provenance : Originally this artwork was from the collection of Mr. Victor Banarjee, who was one of Kolkata’s most passionate art collector. Currently from the collection of Mr. Sanjay Bagaria from Kolkata, who is one of the most important collectors of Ganesh Pyne works.
Height of the figure - 6ft
Ganesh Pyne was born in Calcutta in 1937. A shy introverted child, Pyne began sketching and doodling right from his childhood. After finishing school, he joined the Government College of Art & Craft in Calcutta. In 1959, he received his diploma in drawing and painting.
In those early years, Pyne was greatly influenced by the brothers Abanindra nath and Gaganendra nath Tagore. He did water colours.Pyne has received many awards and is present in many public and private collections.
From water colour, Pyne turned to gouache and then tempera since the mid-'60s. It is from this time onwards that his figuration and palette also changed. A skeletal element was introduced into the figures while animal showed their fangs and claws. They were portrayed either as predators or victims. Dark shadows dominated his canvases offset with the use of a golden umber. Certain motifs surfaced repeatedly like boats, bits of bone, wood and other debris, dark doors and windows, birdman, Chaitanya, the leader of the Bhakti movements, animals, daggers, and so on. Most canvases reflected the opposing pulls of death and life eternal. Pyne's varied treatment of the eyes are worth note.
The artist passed away in 2013.