Page 9 - Eye of the beholder

AUTHOR'S FOREWORD
I wish to acknowledge the immense and thought provoking opportunity that was offered to me, when I was invited to write on the collection of art works in the possession of erudite and knowledgeable art collectors Dr. Anirban Sadhu and Dr. Rejina - Sadhu an NRI couple based in Basel, Switzerland. It opened a new vista for me on an approach to art history and the critical aesthetic appreciation that required a different perception in studying the art works in their possession. It was a providential connect with Mr. Qamar an Art Dealer now based in Kolkata who got in touch with me on the social media platform LinkedIn after viewing my profile as an Art Historian and an Art Educator. Through Mr. Qamar I was introduced to the Sadhus’ and their varied versatile art collection. Dr. Anirban is knowledgeable about the art he has collected and has also written and published essays in reputed and scholarly art Journals, particularly on the Company Painters. In this respect valuable and authentic information was provided to me by him, which served to reinforce my writing and at the same time enhanced my knowledge. It was a fluid symbiosis that took place between the writer and the collector, which left a deep impression within me.
The collection of almost eighty works spans the period from 18th to 20th century, including a sculpture belonging to the Gandhara period around 2nd to 3rd century C.E is also integral to it. Hence the subject and thematic content from the 18th century miniatures of Rajput and Mughal tradition to the Company Style painting to works by British artists as Danielle’s et al finds a spot in his collection. A sizeable portfolio of Modern Indian art works retrospect from early 19th century Calcutta paintings to D.P. Roy Chowdhury to Gaganendranath and Jamini Roy including seminal Indian modernists of the 20th century. The works have been collected with a certain sensibility that reflects Dr. Anirban’s deeper understanding of the cultural context of these artists. The names are iconic and represent the movers and shakers within Modern Indian art. The collection does not reflect a conscious artistic uniformity, but celebrates art as a manifestation of shifting moods, modes and memories in Indian Art.
My experience in writing about the historical period that spanned two millennia was not only challenging in terms of researching the cultural context of the period but equally so in the aesthetic evaluation and critical arguments concerning the art works. In many respect I had to make frequent journeys to the Fine Arts Library to literally archaeloge books that I thought had ended with my teaching profession. But it came as a realization that the perspective and approach to writing on these valuable masterpieces had to shift from class room teaching to an in depth study to clarify its relevance as a collectible art work that has acquired a special status having become a so called “Collectors’ Piece”. It was this transformation of the object of art which required a different approach to its critical evaluation as well as its formal aesthetic appreciation.
In wading through particularly the “Miniature Collection” which is the largest holding with the Sadhus’, I realized the mammoth task that awaited me. It ordained or mandated that without
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