Jamini Roy (India, 1887-1972), Untitled (Shiva with Bull)
Tempera on card
Framed and glazed
40 x 54.5cm sheet
37.5 cm x 51cm within mount

Born in rural Bengal, Roy studied at the Government School of Art in Calcutta. At the beginning of his career, he painted portraits in an academic style. However, in the 1920s, he was influenced by post-impressionism and chose to give up on the commissioned portraits. By 1925 he had started experimenting by working on popular bazaar paintings sold outside the Kalighat temple in Kolkata. With the growing surge of nationalism and in an attempt to recapture the archaic innocence that was ignored by Western influence, he used the local folk art tradition as a source of inspiration.

His conscious rejection of Western artistic styles marked the beginning of the modern art era in India. His works depicted Hindu deities, Mother and child, scenes of the epics Mahabharata and Ramayana, and animals were painted in a simple two-dimensional form. He brought together the minimal brush strokes of the Kalighat style with elements of tribal art from Bengal. His signature style included vibrant color application and thick outlines. The subject was often simplified by limiting excessive details to maintain the folk art style.

In numerous works, Roy incorporates Shiva as a subject. This artwork portrays Shiva and Nandi bull seated on a raised platform. The Rudraksha beads and the snake help us recognize the deity. While the Nandi bull is seated behind him, Shiva is shown seated cross-legged, raising his drum in one hand and holding a bowl in the other. This work is a great example of Roy’s iconic style and the simplicity he incorporates in his works. The background and the raised platform carry some minimalistic decorative elements that make it a good example of Roy’s iconic style.

Private U.K. Collection