Osian's Auction Catalogue Masterpieces and Museum-Quality III | March 2004

106 OSIAN’S 47 BABURAO PAINTER (1890-1954 / b. Kolhapur, Maharashtra) Jagadev... Signed in Devanagiri, l.r. Oil on canvas, 1940-4 109.5 x 132.1 cm (43.1 x 52 in) Some minor conservation and cleaning has been carried out in Mumbai by Kayan Marshall Pundole. Rs. 450,000 – 525,000 US$ 10,000 – 11,650 GB£ 5,500 – 6,400 OSIANs S.I.R. ANALYSIS [2001–03] Present Estimate 200.79 Previous S.I.R. 102.88 Auction Average 289.84 “ Characters, costumes, and movements, all swarmed simultaneously into his [Baburao Painter’s] mind. He would capture them in his sketches, a process Eisenstein called the ‘stenographic’ method of recording his thoughts, and which Baburao was certainly the first film maker to adopt… Innovative as always, Baburao changed the concept of set designing from painted curtains to solid multi-dimensional, lived- in spaces… Baburao understood the importance of publicity; making good films was not enough, people had to be made aware of them through other supportive means. As early as 1921-22, he was the first to issue program booklets, complete with details of the film photographs. He also painted tasteful, eye- catching posters for each of his films…” (B.D. Garga rpt. in So Many Cinemas –The Motion Picture in India , 1996; p.32.) Inscription on painting [translated from Hindi and Sanskrit]: Where there is a Pawar, there is sharpness. Where there is sharpness, there is a Parmar. Sans sharpness, there is no Parmar, And there is no sharpness except with a Pawar. Shri Jagadev Parmar The Scion of the Parmar family Here is an oblation in service unto the Swami. Victory unto Bhavani The Strength and Devotion of Shri Jagadev Paramar On this globe, in the family of Paramars, Was born one, who was given The excellent name Jagadev… ’Lord of the World’. Or, O Mother, was he Thy own son? By Thy blessings, he enjoyed All the riches and affluence That intrepid Lord of the World worshipped Thee, Offering his head, On Thy feet. He was revived by Thee, Pleased with his sacrifice. Yet, in no time, he again offered his head on Thy feet. Seven times he thus worshipped Thee, here, on this earth. Thou wert pleased, much too pleased, (with his devotion and sacrifice) All his ambitions were fulfilled by Thee A place was given to the Excellent King by Thee at Thy lotus-feet.