Osian's Auction Catalogue The Masterpieces and Museum Quality Series | October 2004

THE MASTERPIECES & MUSEUM-QUALITY SERIES 45 20 Gobardhan ASH [1907-1996/ b . Begumpur, West Bengal] Portrait of Urdu Teacher: Ranjan Banerjee S/d in English l.r. Oil on canvas pasted on board, 1941 39.1 x 31.5 cm (15.4 x 12.4 in) Rs. 225,000 – 300,000 $ 4,850 – 6,500 £ 2,675 – 3,550 ‘He turned out a large number of landscapes inhabited by weary, toiling people reflecting the social misery and stagnation of the painter’s surroundings… A parallel set deals with intimate figures in close-up. While the people in the landscapes appear as faceless, unidentifiable beings ground into anonymity by unrelenting poverty, the figurative compositions are unfallingly direct and mark each character individuality. These two sets done simultaneously reflect the artists’ view of life, the two facets of human existence; man in his collective struggle for survival against the grim realities of prevailing conditions, and man the individual in his solitary moments, when he is uniquely himself.’ – Sovon Som, rpt. in Art Heritage Journal 1983-84 ; p25.