Osian's Auction Catalogue Indian Modern and Contemporary Art | January 2008

60 36 Kshitindranath Majumdar (1891 - 1975) Birth of Sri Chaitanya Signed in Bengali ‘Kshitindra’ l.r. Wash on paper, 1950s 14.0 x 10.6 in (35.5 x 27.0 cm) INR 1,400,000 – 1,750,000 USD 35,000 – 43,750 Literary Reference Illustrated in Manifestations I. New Delhi: Delhi Art Gallery, 2003; p.48. ‘His watercolour paintings in wash technique portraying the divine life of Sri Chaitanya are valuable treasures of Indian art. Birth of Chaitanya is one of the most important works of this phase. The saint Chaitanyadeb was the founder of ‘Gourio Vaishnava Dharma’. In this painting, newborn Chaitanya is seen in the lap of his mother seated on the floor in front of a hut. Two neighbours stand spellbound observing the divine grace of the baby. Women are wearing saris. The loose folds of the draped saris, with simple, flowing, delicate lines, are a significant feature of many of his works. Rustic, thin, tall figures are placed in the background of a tree and rural architecture creates a simple village atmosphere. This type of environment is the hallmark of his paintings. Outlines of the objects or figures play a vital role in his paintings. Precise and lyrical, soft, fine, long and moving, his lines manifest the calm emotion of some serene beauty’ Prasant Daw rpt. in Manifestations I Indian Art in the 20 th Century from the DAG Collection ; Delhi Art Gallery, 2003; p.48. 35 Kshitindranath Majumdar (1891 - 1975) Spectation Signed in Bengali ‘Kshitindra’ l.l. Watercolour and wash heightened with gold on paper, late 1920s 13.4 x 5.9 in (34.0 x 15.0 cm) Label on verso of Indian Society of Oriental Art (ISOA) Provenance Private Collection, Allahabad INR 1,200,000 – 1,500,000 USD 30,000 – 37,500