Syed Haider Raza (b. 1922)

Gifted by the artist to the present owner's father in 1960

Areas of flaking have been stabalized and filled lower right. Painting has been recently cleaned, varnished and relined. Colors of original richer than catalogue illustration. Good overall condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Upon his arrival in France in 1950, Raza was deeply influenced by the works of Modernist masters, especially Cézanne and Van Gogh and his paintings over the next decade echo the structure and formalism of both these artists. Raza combined these impulses to forge a unique idiom where space and color seem to move and feed into each other. Despite this western influence in his work Raza remains in dialogue with his Indian associates in particular Akbar Padamsee and F. N. Souza and the landscapes of Europe remain a unifying theme to their works of this period. The ancient cathedrals of London, Paris and Rome and the rustic simplicity of medieval hilltop villages provide inspiration to many of their early works. Compositionally a spire of a church or tower of a hilltop fortress became the focal point for each work and deep vibrant backgrounds in orange, yellow, or burgundy unify their works. Raza in particular turned for inspiration to the French countryside of Provence and the Maritime Alps where '...the landscape with its trees, mountains, villages and churches became his staple diet.' (Yashodhara Dalmia, The Making of Modern Indian Art: The Progressives, New Delhi, 2001, p. 152). Whilst Raza experiments with his medium, he appears to draw some of his bold use of color from Souza's works of this period but his tight compositions in small formats are clearly of his own invention.

'The gouache technique in tempera was to give way to impasto in oils. The change of medium and manner were not merely technical but signified a fundamental change of attitude. The scholar, who had measured and calculated, burst through the confines of a limited understanding of color into a sphere of full realisation. The transformation created such passion that one could best describe this age of Raza as the age of the Lover. This triumphant handling of paint, this living in paint can only be understood as an act of love. His colors take on an entirely new complexion. Brilliant reds and yellows stand out against large looming forces of black and deep Prussian blue. Shapes dissolve in seas of colors which are by no means unorganised and fluid but seems to move and evolve within the space of the painting.' (Rudi von Leyden, rpt. in Raza, Bombay, Sadanga Series, 1959, p. 19).

In his works from the late 1950's Raza remains enamored with the French countryside and Vue d'un Village from 1957 is part of the series that captures the mood of the hilltop villages and the slightly ramshackle architecture of rural France. The work is an exceptionally bold composition for the 1950's but common with other works from the period is the angular skyline with rooftops strung out along a hillside. The identifiable elements of architecture are intentionally limited to a broad band that is placed centrally across the canvas, leaving a dominant area of sky in the top right quadrant of the painting. Raza uses more gestural brushstrokes in the foreground and sky that hint at the stylistic devices and fluid abstraction that will completely dominate his canvases of the mid-1970's. This late work of the 1950's is significant in that it represents a phase between two stages of Raza's artistic development. While the landscape remains identifiable, color and the application of paint become the key elements in the work. The large format painting with geometric elements of rooftops and walls merging with abstracted skies and fields is the conceptual forerunner to his iconic paintings of the 1970's such as La Terre and Tapovan.

This painting is typical of Raza's works from this period where he painted the French countryside in riotous hues, in a style which fused the Modernist metaphor with his frenetic exploration of color and his musings on abstraction. 'In works like Church (1957), the black steeple and charred roofs burn in their intensity against a smoldering orange sky.' (Yashodhara Dalmia, The Making of Modern Indian Art: The Progressives, 2001, p. 152). 'Be it village, town or church, the world according to Raza was aflame. It was being forged anew through the crucible of recollection - baptized through fire.' (Geeti Sen, Bindu, Space and Time in Raza's Vision, New Delhi, 1997, p. 66).