AGUTTES
11
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Laxman PAI (1926-2021) Untitled (Woman), 1959
Oil on isorel,…
See original version (French)
11
-
Laxman PAI (1926-2021) Untitled (Woman), 1959
Oil on isorel,…
See original version (French)
Estimate €5,000 - €8,000
Voluntary lot
Description
Laxman PAI (1926-2021)
Untitled (Woman), 1959
Oil on isorel, signed, located London and dated 5/59 lower right
61 x 48 cm
Provenance :
Acquired directly from the artist, then by descent
Additional information:
Laxman Pai was born on 21 January 1926 in Margão, in the former Portuguese Goa. As a child, he was introduced to art through his uncle's photo studio (Mauzo Photo Studio), where he retouched black and white photographs, developing his taste for lines, shadows and contrasts. In the 1940s, he became involved in the struggle for the liberation of Goa from the Portuguese colonial government; he was arrested several times for these activities.
In 1943, he entered the Sir J. J. School of Art in Bombay (Mumbai), where he studied until 1947. He was awarded the Mayo Medal on graduating. After his studies, he began teaching in Bombay while producing his first works inspired by life in Goa, Indian miniatures, traditional motifs and nature.
He then moved to Paris for about ten years, where he furthered his knowledge of engraving, fresco and painting. He attended the École des Beaux-Arts and was exhibited in several European galleries during this period. It was during these years that he developed a style combining Western influences and traditional Indian aesthetics: angular structures, expressive use of line, lyrical colours and stylised composition.
This work illustrates several themes dear to the artist. The central female figure is surrounded by a mandorla, an almond-shaped form traditionally associated with the sacred. This isolates the figure from the rest of the composition and gives it a spiritual dimension. The plant motifs that appear in and around the body reinforce the link between the woman and nature, a recurring theme in Pai's work.
On his return to India, he was appointed Principal of the Goa College of Art in 1977, a post he held until 1987, contributing to local artistic development and the training of a generation of artists in Goa. Pai has received numerous awards and distinctions: the Lalit Kala National Award three times (1961, 1963, 1972), the Padma Shri (1985), then the Padma Bhushan. His work includes oil paintings, works on paper (watercolour, ink, gouache) and engravings. He often explored themes related to nature, stylised human figures, mythology and local traditions. He died on 14 March 2021 in Dona Paula, Goa.
See original version (French)
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Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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