Page 28 - Eye of the beholder

Mazumdar’s academic realism endowed his his style with lyricism and poetry Though his his iconography was was intrinsically the the representation of the the female form he he he was was able to lend power to his compositions through a a a a a a a dignified simplicity He created an an aura of intimacy and immediacy through his subdued play of light which intentionally avoids dramatic tones The charm of of his his lighting lay in in in enhancing the emotions and sentiments of of his his protagonists He manifested mastery of expression through postures gestures and glances that made his female forms more alluring and and attractive The landscapes in in which the women are placed are are full of of nature’s bounty green glades that are are as as refreshing as as the the beauty of of the the woman Mazumdar had said “There are no fixed rules or traditions in in in in the domain of painting which has got no universally recognized lexicon of its own” It was this freedom in in in his his thinking that made him evolve the the particularized iconography of the the women in his art art The disturbing power of Mazumdar’s women to lay in in their palpability and immediacy: his subject either middle class housewife or or a a a a mother or or a a a a village belle returning home after her bath The artist’s tantalizing silence about the the the identity of the the the model heightened the the the mystery surrounding her It is is this ambiguity that made such a a a a a a a powerful appeal to the Bengali middle class The three paintings in in in fin the the Sadhus’ collection defines and makes obvious the the saliencies of Mazumdar’s individual personal vision in in in in casting the youthful women in in in in a a a a a a a a subtle dramatic manner if the the poses and postures are are taken into consideration The paintings are are “Lady by the the Mirror” “Lady wearing the earring” and “The Rapt Lady” 22