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Lot Essay
Though Jamini Roy was trained in the Western academic painting styles and initially worked in the Post-Impressionist genre of portraits and landscapes, in the 1920's he became inspired by temple paintings (pattas) sold in bazaars outside the Kalighat temples in Bengal, India. This led him to develop a unique revival of indigenous painting traditions, as homage to the folk painters of his native Bengal.
"Roy noted that the art of Metropolitan Calcutta, irrespective of whether it was revivalist or in the western academic style, was dependant not only on elitist but affluent patronage and he wanted art to regain the easy availability and inexpensiveness it had in the traditional life of the people. He was wholly in favour of making art, meant for the collectivity and not for the affluent few."
(K. Chaitanya, A History of Indian Painting: The Modern Period, Abhinava Publications, New Delhi, 1995, p. 178.)
"Roy noted that the art of Metropolitan Calcutta, irrespective of whether it was revivalist or in the western academic style, was dependant not only on elitist but affluent patronage and he wanted art to regain the easy availability and inexpensiveness it had in the traditional life of the people. He was wholly in favour of making art, meant for the collectivity and not for the affluent few."
(K. Chaitanya, A History of Indian Painting: The Modern Period, Abhinava Publications, New Delhi, 1995, p. 178.)