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

The Progressive Artists Group. First row: (sitting, from left) Dr. Mulk Raj Anand, Siloo Bharucha, Mrs. Renu Khanna, K.H. Ara, M.F. Husain, Bal Chhabda, Unidenti ed, Hazarnis (with folder in hand). Second row: (sitting, from left) Unidenti ed, L.N. SEVAK , Laxman Pai, Kathy Langhammer, E. Schlesinger. Standing: (from left) Unidenti ed, Mrs. Kekoo Gandhy, T.A. Schinzel (behind Gandhy), Krishen Khanna (in striped tie), Sadanand Bakre (in glasses, just behind Khanna), D.G. Kulkarni (in glasses, near Bakre), Gaitonde (to Kulkarni’s left), A.A. Amelkar, Unidenti ed, Tyeb Mehta, Shiavax Chavda (hands folded in front), Prof. Langhammer (dark tie), Kekoo Gandhy, Manishi Dey. Shah introducing the artist Chakor during the opening of his exhibition of cartoon and caricatures at HVAC. Seated on the far right is the poet and educationalist Umashankar Joshi who inaugurated the show (1983). Property from the Collection of Subhash Shah, First Director of the Leila & Purushottam Hutheesing Visual Art Centre 42 K.K. Hebbar 1911-1996 Folk Dancers Oil on board, 1947 S/d in English ‘Hebbar 47’ l.r. 24.0 x 32.3 in (61.0 x 82.0 cm) Provenance The Subhash Shah Collection, Ahmedabad; previously acquired from L.N. Sevak (1919-1999; please refer to photograph below) during the early 1990s. Subhash Shah was the first Director of the then newly-formed Leila & Purushottam Hutheesing Visual Art Centre and served in the said capacity for two decades between 1978 to 1998. INR 2,000,000 – 3,000,000 USD 29,850 – 44,780 Full double-spread image on pp.84-85 ‘Hebbar has drawn heavily on Indian dance, folk and classical. The lyricism, grace and rhythmic quality of dance has found ample expression in his drawings. The human figure has always been an important motif in his works. His paintings form one total concept both on the conscious and inituitive level. There is no attempt at Chiaroscuro, the line or its stimulation is unequivocal. The application of colour was flat during the early years but later on it acquired a vibrating textural effect.’ – S.A.Krishnan, rpt. in LKC 10 September 1969; p28. ‘The expression of an emotion not only depends upon the subject matter but also on the juxtaposition of colours and treatment of space together with inventive symbols. The resulting work attains a new reality, far more true than visible reality and far removed from the so-called academic or impressionistic work. It is in this middle path, I believe, that there lie immense possibilities of maintaining the artist’s individuality and at the same time of creating works which attain universality.’ – K.K. Hebbar rpt. in LKC 7& 8, 1967- 68. p28. 88 | Osian’s–Connoisseurs of Art