Osian's Auction Catalogue Indian Antiquities Modern Contemporary Fine Arts and Books | April 2017

53 Ganesh Pyne 1937-2013 Untitled Pen & ink on paper, 1960 S/d in Bengali ‘Ganesh Pyne 60’ l.r. 6.7 x 8.7 in (17.0 x 22.0 cm) Provenance Previously acquired by Delhi-based art dealer from Vadehra Art Gallery, who in turn purchased the drawing from the artist directly circa 2004. Illustrative & Exhibition Reference Please refer to B/w illustration in “The Flamed-Mosaic: Indian Contemporary Painting” on page 360, Fig. 273 for a painting from a similar series during the same period. Also See Artrends Vol. VII Nos. 2 & 3 January - April 1972 (Publ. in Sept. 1974) for B/w Illustration from the same series. INR 600,000 – 900,000 USD 8,960 – 13,430 “Generally speaking I use drawings as preliminary sketches for my paintings. Drawing of line upon line gradually takes the form of a full statement. It is at this stage that the work reaches the state of a work of art. Before I applied myself to painting, for a few years I devoted myself wholly to drawings, mainly in line and monochrome wash. These helped me clarify my concept of pictorial structure, composition and texture. Subsequently I also became conscious of the characteristic features of my own drawings. I have now come to the conclusion that the character of a drawing manifests itself best in black and white and that the effect of mass or tone should be rendered in lines only. Line is indeed the life of a drawing, because it is a fact that an artist thinks in terms of lines and not words. He can identify his image or theme from a collection of lines. He feels tempted to use colour to make the drawing attractive and to enhance its pictorial and textural qualities. I do sometimes resort to this manner but that is truly the character of the painting not drawing. The quality of line that we can create from the tip of a metal nib surpasses that which is made with the help of any other tool. This is the reason why I prefer to work in pen and ink.” – Ganesh Pyne, rpt. In Chatterjee, Ram [Ed.] [1987]. Indian Drawing Today 1987 . Bombay: Jehangir Art Gallery Publications; p.34 116 | Osian’s–Connoisseurs of Art