Osian's Auction Catalogue India The Passionate Detachment | February 2001

THE PASSIONATE DETACHMENT 138 106 NANDALAL BOSE (1882 — 1966) National Art Treasure Birbhum Landscape Signed in Bengali & seal, l.r. Watercolour, chinese ink & wash on paper, mid 1920s 16.5 x 47.9 cm. (6.5 x 18.9”) Rs. 225,000 – 275,000 Non-Exportable Item 107 NANDALAL BOSE (1882 - 1966) National Art Treasure a. Girl Signed in Bengali on plate, c.r./ Signed in English, l.r. Drypoint, 1938 24 x 15 cm. (9.5 x 5.9”) b. Gurudev Watching Performance of Natir Puja Initials on plate, l.r./ Signed in Bengali, l.r. Drypoint, 1938 15 x 11.9 cm. (9.5 x 4.7”) Rs. 70,000 – 100,000 Non-Exportable Item (Set of 2) “Santiniketan changed Nandalal’s oeuvre. Here his interest in mythological themes withdraws swiftly into the background. He suddenly saw himself telescoped into contact with the visual facts of a village environment, to his great exhilaration. Its very austerity went to his head like dry wine... As the years passed he combines the Japanese brush work, methods of India with diligent observation and practice. He realises early that in both these the activity is sternal and visceral, that the rhythmic control of the brush is related to breathing; its dots and strokes, pulls and stops are controlled by internal keys. So he devises through the years a score-sheet, which leads in his latter days to a personal linear calligraphy, in both his brush and pencil drawings. The lines here are rhythmic not formal, they are not descriptive of facts but expressive of movement.” (K G Subramanyan, in The Drawings of Nandalal Bose , Art Heritage 2 1982-3 ). a b