ART OF THE ISLAMIC WORLD AND INDIA

Lot 131:

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JAMINI ROY (1887-1972) UNTITLED, SIGNED IN BENGALI BOTTOM RIGHT

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Start price: £500

Estimated price: £600 - £800

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Description

This minimalist and evocative painting signed Jamini Roy features a woman draped in a pristine white saree, her form gracefully curving inwards in a posture of serenity and introspection. Her face, rendered in Jamini Roy’s iconic style, showcases almond-shaped eyes, a prominent red bindi, and stark yellow skin — a hallmark of his departure from European naturalism toward indigenous folk traditions. The woman’s figure is outlined with rhythmic green contours that accentuate her modest yet strong presence. Set against a plain, textured background.


Jamini Roy (1887–1972) was a pioneering Indian modernist painter who played a crucial role in the development of modern Indian art. Trained in the Western academic tradition at the Government College of Art, Kolkata, Roy eventually rejected Western techniques in favour of a more indigenous aesthetic inspired by Bengal folk art, particularly Kalighat Pat painting. His works are characterised by bold lines, flat colours, and simplified forms, drawing inspiration from rural India’s rituals, traditions, and daily life.

Provenance: Ex Private European Collection 

Painting: 23 x 14 cm