Inspired by beautiful Indian destinations
Hyderabad: The depiction of landscapes has been in existence long before it established itself as an exclusive genre of art in its own right. Capturing mountains, valleys, bodies of water, fields, forests, and coasts from different nooks and corners of the world, landscape art familiarised a place to multitudes of people before the invention of […]
Published Date - 3 January 2022, 05:00 PM
Hyderabad: The depiction of landscapes has been in existence long before it established itself as an exclusive genre of art in its own right. Capturing mountains, valleys, bodies of water, fields, forests, and coasts from different nooks and corners of the world, landscape art familiarised a place to multitudes of people before the invention of photography.
Through the course of time, the practice developed and artists would travel to faraway places to bring the exquisite bounty of nature to their audiences. Modern Indian artists were also highly inspired to create landscape art from several scenic places from both rural and urban spaces that India is abundant with. These journeys gave them an opportunity to paint their surroundings.
Here are some iconic landscape paintings by Indian modernists that have previously been featured in our auctions.
Kashmir Valley by SH Raza
Artist SH Raza often visited the Kashmir Valley. It was here that he met the famous French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson who encouraged him to visit Paris to widen his artistic canvas. This work titled ‘Kashmir Valley’ from the year 1949 was inspired by the beauty of the State often referred to as “Paradise on Earth”. The work belongs to the early years in Raza’s career.
Rajasthan by SH Raza
This intense work titled ‘Rajasthan’ was created by artist SH Raza and reflects his inspirations from the Rajasthan miniature era. Created in 1975 when the artist was in the USA, the work was in response to his pining for his roots. The theme of Rajasthan intonates an important and defining juncture in the artists’ oeuvre.
River Kopai by Ramkinkar Baij
The work titled ‘River Kopai’ is a testament to Ramkinkar Baij’s deep love and affinity for the landscapes around Santiniketan and the people from the Santhal community who lived in the nearby villages. Executed in the year 1946, the work depicts the surrounding topography and the dry riverbed of River Kopai that flows past Santiniketan in West Bengal.
Blue Ganges by MF Husain
In this work titled ‘Blue Ganges,’ MF Husain captures the mystic of the ghats of the Ganges in the holy city of Benares. The dense sensation of the ghats and their unique geological terrain is effectively established. The figures in the picture frame are bestowed with a sense of momentum with impasto strokes. MF travelled to Benares for the first time in the 1960s.
Sasser Passage by Nicholas Roerich
Roerich’s association with India began during his childhood when he came across a portrait of a majestic mountain range that enthralled him. Deeply inspired by the picturesque landscapes, Roerich painted over seven thousand paintings of the Himalayan landscapes. Executed in the 1920s, this beautiful painting depicts a high mountain pass in Ladakh.
Nandalal Bose Takdah Forest
This landscape painting by artist Nandalal Bose depicts the high altitude hamlet of Takdah in the state of West Bengal. The word ‘Takdah’ means mist in the Lepcha language and therefore the artist has incorporated an element of haze shrouding the deciduous rows of pines and cedars. The work was executed in 1938.
The City IV by Jehangir Sabavala
This work from the year 2004 comes from the ‘City’, series which Jehangir Sabavala conceived at the start of the new millennium. The skyscrapers elevate with a jutting peculiarity whereas the spatial surface has been constructed with horizontal edgy proportions. Executed with his redefined Cubist technique, the work is a brilliant example of Sabavala’s artistic glory.
Sneha Gautam
Vice President – Client Relations
AstaGuru, Auction House
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