- 42
JAGDISH SWAMINATHAN | Untitled (Miniature Painting)
Estimate
8,000 - 10,000 USD
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Description
- Jagdish Swaminathan
- Untitled (Miniature Painting)
- Bearing Dhoomimal Gallery, New Delhi label with 'CON NO. DMG174/ JS/ 25 SIZE 11 X 15 / ARTIST NAME J. SWAMINATHAN / TITLE MINIATURE PAINTING / PRICE Rs. 2,100/-' on reverse
- Oil on canvas
- 11 ⅛ x 15 ⅜ in. (28.2 x 39 cm.); Overall dimensions: 25 ⅞ x 15 ⅜ in. (65.7 x 39 cm.)
Provenance
Dhoomimal Gallery, New Delhi
Private Collection, Maryland
Acquired from the above in 2017
Private Collection, Maryland
Acquired from the above in 2017
Condition
There is minor wear along the top center edge. Scattered cracking to surface of the work and paint shrinkage is visible on the blue area in the upper left. This work has been recently cleaned and is in overall good condition. The colors are brighter in reality than in the catalogue illustration.
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.
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.
Catalogue Note
'Swaminathan treats images like the numen in nature - that is metaphorically, but in a sense where the metaphor is now detached from the material-mythical world, and lifted into the ethereal spheres of lyric, art and poetry.' (J. Swaminathan, 'The Cygan, An Auto-bio note,' Lalit Kala Contemporary 40, New Delhi, 1995, p. 11).
Jagdish Swaminathan’s conceptual landscapes speak to the artist's devotion to nature. His work is remarkable for its overarching sense of order and calm, qualities which are palpable in these current paintings. The iconography belongs to his popular 'Bird, Tree and Mountain' series, a configuration that is repeated in various iterations throughout the artist's oeuvre after it first appeared in the 1960s. The stylistic elements in these works are borrowed from the indigenous aesthetic of Indian miniature paintings. Lot 42 is a small scale study of the series – a rare, jewel-like painting which compactly reflects Swaminathan's artistic prowess. Here he achieves the delicate balance between abstraction and naturalism. The canvas is characteristically divided into distinguishable color fields, in this case, pastel shades of a beautiful sunrise over flat planes of stylized, green mountains. Despite the fact that he was inspired by the miniature tradition, Swaminathan produced very few works in this small format, making this a rare opportunity to acquire one of his paintings in this size.
In Lot 43, the small scale depiction of the bird creates the illusion of scale, suggesting that this is in fact a magnified view of a miniature landscape. Here again, the canvas is divided into three bright color fields - shades of red, orange and, green. Geeta Kapur has noted ‘Swaminathan developed his visual language 'on the basis of Indian tradition which offers a vast variety of the subtlest most brilliant hues in its art forms' (G. Kapur, Contemporary Indian Artists, Vikas Publishing House Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, 1978, p. 210)
Jagdish Swaminathan’s conceptual landscapes speak to the artist's devotion to nature. His work is remarkable for its overarching sense of order and calm, qualities which are palpable in these current paintings. The iconography belongs to his popular 'Bird, Tree and Mountain' series, a configuration that is repeated in various iterations throughout the artist's oeuvre after it first appeared in the 1960s. The stylistic elements in these works are borrowed from the indigenous aesthetic of Indian miniature paintings. Lot 42 is a small scale study of the series – a rare, jewel-like painting which compactly reflects Swaminathan's artistic prowess. Here he achieves the delicate balance between abstraction and naturalism. The canvas is characteristically divided into distinguishable color fields, in this case, pastel shades of a beautiful sunrise over flat planes of stylized, green mountains. Despite the fact that he was inspired by the miniature tradition, Swaminathan produced very few works in this small format, making this a rare opportunity to acquire one of his paintings in this size.
In Lot 43, the small scale depiction of the bird creates the illusion of scale, suggesting that this is in fact a magnified view of a miniature landscape. Here again, the canvas is divided into three bright color fields - shades of red, orange and, green. Geeta Kapur has noted ‘Swaminathan developed his visual language 'on the basis of Indian tradition which offers a vast variety of the subtlest most brilliant hues in its art forms' (G. Kapur, Contemporary Indian Artists, Vikas Publishing House Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, 1978, p. 210)