Kisory Roy (1911 - 1965)

Acquired from the artist's family, West Bengal

K. Singh ed., Manifestations VIII, Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, 2012, p.168

Kisory Roy trained under one of the stalwarts of academic painting, J. P. Gangooly and he maintained this visual style throughout his career. Known for depicting the landscapes and vistas of the Bengali countryside, Howrah Station at Night is a beautiful rendering of the hustle and bustle of activity taking place at this train station near Calcutta. Although painted with enough detail to place this work in the category of realism, it still retains an air of charm and mystery. Swirling black smoke from the trains rise and merge with the soot coloured sky and individually rendered figures crowd the platforms and recede into the distance.

Although many different re-creations of his image have been made by a plethora of artists, this detailed portrait of Rabindranath Tagore stands out for its careful and considered use of colour and texture.  By gradating the tones, Roy has cleverly created the image to appear as if light is hitting one side of his face, highlighting his profile and lending an almost serious and solemn feeling to this work. Dark and light colours contrast with each other, achieving a masterful chiaroscuro effect.