A master landscapist, Prahlad Anant Dhond is one of the most remarkable watercolour artists India has ever seen The surrounding landscape of his birthplace, Ratnagiri had profound influence on him in his early life He was drawn to the seasonal and romantic changes in his landscape as a young boy and would later emulate them in his work Even though he started off as a portrait artist, Dhond was soon inspired by the works of Russel Flint, whose water colour depictions of seascapes instantly captivated his artistic sensibility With nature as his muse, Dhond set out on a path that would turn the course of his artistic career

Dhond’s landscapes emanate an essence of intimacy and longing He harnessed the transparency and softness of watercolour to depict nature in its varying moods The simplicity of his palette renders a gentle luminosity to his work and conveys a sense of oneness with his environment About his work, he says, "I feel like a child at my heart for whom this world is a novelty"

He had an innate zeal to constantly re-invent his work and travelled extensively in search of inspiration He was a strong believer of artistic traditions and encouraged young artists to hone their fundamentals before experimenting with contemporary ideas in painting

His career spans over seven decades and consists of over 7000 paintings He became the dean of SirJJSchool of art in 1958 which was also his alma mater and was loved by all his students He is said to have an ever-smiling personality and was fondly known as Babu, Dhond sir and Bhai

A prolific artist of his time, Dhond held several solo shows in his career some of which were hosted at Santiniketan in Kolkata and Jehangir Art Gallery in Mumbai

He passed away in 2001 at the ripe old age of 93