Kattingeri Krishna Hebbar (1911 - 1996)

Bonham's Knightsbridge, 18 November 1999, lot 82

Excellent overall condition. Very minor lifting from mount along lower edge. This lot has not been inspected outside its frame. Frame: Slight separation to frame corners at joints. Small nick to frame at right edge. Minor losses to paint on frame at edges and corners.
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.

One of India’s earliest modern painters, K.K. Hebbar stands affirmably as the one who paved the path for modern Indian artists to follow. Having rejected the academic realist technique he had assimilated at the Sir J.J. School of Art in Mumbai, Hebbar was in constant search for a compelling personal style that better suited the themes he yearned to explore. In addition to his art education in Bombay, the artist was exposed to Western styles during his stint at the Academy Julian in Paris, finding himself influenced by artists ranging from Paul Gauguin to Amrita Sher- Gil. He felt an affinity to a vast array of aesthetics, combining indigenous folk art and modern European painting styles.

In the present lot, Hebbar frames the image with a folio, echoing those from Indian miniature paintings. Interested in the intermingling of forms and space, the artist combines the emblematic, the two-dimensional and the incorporeal. He filters out the superfluous from the essential and the resultant simplicity of the composition is powerful. Circular ripples of light undulate from the scorching sun that hangs at top center, penetrating the vast sky and illuminating the civilization below. Dictating the canvas is the empty abyss of the sky, infused with forceful strokes and resplendent Chroma that celebrate the artist’s mastery of oil painting. The homes and trees at the bottom edge, minuscule compared to the colossal sun, intimates the presence of life below. Hebbar utilizes color and line to convey a delight and exultation in the pastoral idyll. As an artist who never ceased to experiment and open his eyes to new styles and ideas, Hebbar’s legacy is limitless.