Since the early years of his life, S. H. Raza had an awareness of the abundance of nature surrounding him. These early childhood experiences of being completely one with nature inspired him to create art and become a landscape painter. After completing his course at the Sir J J School of Art, he was living in Bombay and was preoccupied with painting landscapes and cityscapes in watercolours. His technique from an academic vantage point was impeccable, yet he was constantly in search of contextual impetus triggers that would further enable him to discover his artistic identity. In 1946, his landscapes displayed at the Bombay Art Society’s annual exhibition won the silver medal. He was hailed as the most confident, as well as sensitive landscape painter in the whole exhibition. During the same period, he researched voraciously concerning the style of Western masters. He eventually secured a scholarship to study in Paris. This sojourn to the Western shores would be a defining moment in his career.

S H Raza’s initial period in France was an extremely crucial phase for his artistic development. The time spent gave him insights concerning the vital elements in the painting, a clear metric of thinking and visual rationality. The early years in France signify the dimensional leap which spewed within Raza, the growth and the newfound metamorphosis reflected in the images he created. He refined the artistic temperament developed during his Bombay years and focused more on landscapes done in oil rather than watercolour. During this period, one can trace the influence of Cezanne in his construction and the impact of Kandinsky’s theory of form and colour.

In its upcoming Masters Legacy Modern Indian Art Auction, AstaGuru will present three rare works by the artist, which highlight how the artist solidified his unique painterly character and style.

One of these, lot no. 17, is an oil on canvas painting titled ‘Le Village.’ Executed in 1956, it showcases a row of houses depicted with an eschewed approach. The rooftops of the structure collide with each other, imparting a certain degree of pictorial conflict. The artist had painstakingly achieved the feat of infusing his inner vision on the canvas. The year of the painting’s creation was of great importance, considering S. H. Raza had won the ‘Prix de la Critique d’Art award the very same year. This validation indeed proved his mettle as an Indian artist who had attained a modern creative temperament. Soon thereafter, he gained a reputation in Paris, having been written about by Rudy von Leyden and the future Director of the Museum of Modern Art of Paris, Jacques Lassaigne. The latter hailed him for not bringing and transferring his Indian exotic inferences; his strange unaccounted works were unconnected to any traditional form of art. Among the people to patronise his creations during the period were Jacques Lassaigne, Jean Bhownagary, Madame Rothschild, and celebrated writer Andre Maurois, amongst others.

Also created in the same year is lot no. 21 titled ‘Village.’ This work was executed with oil and ink on paper. During this period, Raza's mastery over colour and medium was evident as the formal structure took a backseat, allowing these elements to take centre stage in his landscape paintings.

Titled ‘Paysage,’ lot no. 34 is an oil on paper work executed by the artist in 1957. A tribute to Raza's fascination with French scenery and architecture, this work perfectly captures his perception of the environment on canvas. Raza frequently depicted landscapes filled with trees, mountains, villages, and churches, which became a staple of his artistic style. The present lot also exemplifies Raza's intuitive approach to exploring colour relationships, as demonstrated by his use of broad, sweeping strokes and thick, textured impasto. Unlike his earlier works, which depicted reality or imaginary landscapes, the fragmented forms in this work create analogies that evoke the essence of nature. The painting exudes vitality and an unstoppable rhythm, capturing the artist's experience of nature, rather than a mere depiction of it. While executing the presented lot, the artist experimented with a heavy impasto technique, making this work unique and rare.

S H Raza’s artistic voyage delineates with absolute clarity; the creative evolution of an artist’s vision. Governed by the essence of equilibrium, he yearned to realise the characteristics of colours, hereby striking a balance between the space that they occupied in tow with their seminal properties.

AstaGuru’s upcoming ‘Masters Legacy’ Modern Indian Art Auction will showcase a diverse range of unique and important creations from different phases of India's most celebrated modernists. Scheduled to be held on April 29-30, 2023, the collection is bedecked with creations from several artists who shaped the narrative of Modern Indian Art, including Nicholas Roerich, M.V. Dhurandhar, M.F. Husain, S.H. Raza, F.N. Souza, Tyeb Mehta, H.A. Gade, Ganesh Pyne, Bikash Bhattacharjee, Jogen Chowdhury, Krishen Khanna, K.G. Subramanyan, K.K. Hebbar, Prabhakar Barwe, A. Ramachandran, Himmat Shah, Rameshwar Broota, B. Prabha, and T. Vaikuntam.
 

About AstaGuru
AstaGuru was conceptualised in the year 2008 with the sole purpose of creating a safe and secure platform to conduct online auctions for Indian, Contemporary & Modern Art. The word AstaGuru is a thoughtful conjugation of ‘Asta’, of Italian origin, which translates to auction and ‘Guru’, Sanskrit connotation for ‘master’ that indicates our distinguished finesse at being the leaders of auctioneering art and artefacts in India as well as globally. With the world melting into one harmonious digital cosmos, AstaGuru has strived to successfully bridge the gap between prospective buyers and consignors by transcending the limitations of live auctions. AstaGuru imparts effortless transparency to the process of acquiring and selling art and rare collectables. Our diverse portfolio includes categories such as Jewellery & Fine Silver, Timepieces, Textiles, Celebrity Memorabilia, Rare Books, Numismatic, Philately and Vintage Cars. AstaGuru’s mobile app enables our esteemed bidders to follow and participate in our auctions seamlessly, and in real-time.

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