Lot Essay
Negotiating the boundaries between myth and reality, Ganesh Pyne is known for his ethereal scenes that frequently elude interpretation. Known for his meticulous draughtsmanship and delicate handling of pigment, Pyne was initially influenced by the works of the brothers Abanindranath and Gaganendranath Tagore. However, his work soon evolved from gentle watercolours as he adopted a more modernist idiom and began using tempera as his primary medium in the mid-1960s. His experiments with indigenous powder pigments and various binding agents allowed him to develop a unique way of building up surface and texture on canvas. The artist notes that he was also influenced by the work of Paul Klee, Rembrandt van Rijn and Frans Hals, conveyed through the architectonic structure of his drawings and paintings, and his fine treatment of light and shadow.
Pyne’s surreal paintings like this image of a seemingly grinning animal’s skull reflect a personal symbolism steeped in existentialism that draws from sources as varied as folklore, cinema and religious iconography. His brooding dreamscapes, populated with skeletal figures of men and animals and other recurring motifs like boats made of bones, are intimations of beauty, decay and impermanence.
Pyne’s surreal paintings like this image of a seemingly grinning animal’s skull reflect a personal symbolism steeped in existentialism that draws from sources as varied as folklore, cinema and religious iconography. His brooding dreamscapes, populated with skeletal figures of men and animals and other recurring motifs like boats made of bones, are intimations of beauty, decay and impermanence.