Osian's Auction Catalogue The Masterpieces Series | March 2010

93 The Masterpieces SerieS 52 S oMnath h ore (1921 – 2006) Harvest Pen and ink on paper, c. 1947 Signed in English ‘Somnath’ l.r. Inscribed in Bengali ‘Boro gacha grame, Jogi burmaner barite dhan kete tola hochche, Utsaver diner moto – rastar majhe majhe lal jhanda pota royeche Krishak samitir slogan dite dite maha utsaher sathe dhan tola hochche’ on verso (In the Boro Gacha Village in the house of Jogi Burman after reaping unhusked rice is being taken in. It is like festival day – there are red flags put up at intervals on the road, peasant organizations, by shouting slogans with great enthusiasm, are taking in the unhusked rice.) 5.4 x 14.8 in (13.6 x 37.6 cm) Condition Good except dark brown stains on t.l., vertical fold mark visible Provenance THE OSIAN’S COLLECTION. Acquired from the Delhi Art Gallery who in turn acquired it from the Collection of the artist Chittaprosad. INR 300,000 – 450,000 US$ 6,250 – 9,380 “Social consciousness and commitment can inspire artists to produce great work, but when politics become party politics, and then it cannot inspire true creativity. From personal experience I have found that politics can be abstract to the point of absurdity, in the sense of being totally divorced from reality. Abstract art may be inaccessible to the common viewer, but at least it does not cause active harm to society, unlike wrong or absurd politics.” - Somnath Hore, Bronzes , CIMA, Calcutta, 1995, p.30.