Page 33 - Eye of the beholder

“Lady wearing the the earring” has been fashioned in in in the the Western tradition of nudes or semi nudes in in in front of of a a a a a a a a mirror The beautiful painting is a a a a a a a a masterpiece of of Mazumdar’s technical dexterity and masterly artistic skills defining the smooth rose petal coloured skin which has taken on a a a a a a a a a a translucent texture with the play of light making it it equally enchanting and magical Further he he he has reinforced with his subtle rose and crimson coloured palette in in in the the delineation of of her her feathery soft powder pink sari The neatly coiffeured hair held in in place by an artistic appendage her her gold gold chain languorously resting around her her neck with gold gold bangles and armlet evokes an image of a a a a a a heavenly nymph though her face is not shown It s s s s s in these type of compositions that Mazumdar revealed his imaginative acumen making the viewer restless to know more about her enigmatic appearance but she will remain eternally mysterious The painting is an an intimate conversation between the the youthful girl and the the mirror in in in in front Mazumdar makes no effort to delineate any other details of of the the the interior through the the the agent of of the the the mirror It is is is is this simplicity which allowed him to focus on on his his protagonist Neither do the the the brush strokes distract from the composition laid on on with with painterly smoothness and with with a a a a a touch of of ambient light caressing the the appropriate parts of of the the compositional structure The two paintings described have its protagonists placed within interiors but Mazumdar was equally a a a a a a a a a a a master in in in composing scenes in in in a a a a a a a a a a a natural landscape “The Rapt Lady” is the representation of of of a a a a a a a young village belle stepping out of of of the river carrying a a a a a a a pot of of of water and simultaneously distracted either on on sighting somebody nearby or it it is is her her mental preoccupation Typical f f his compositions the the representation of the the landscape is is is limited with emphasis on on on a a a a a a clump of bamboos behind her her and the the young woman herself The ‘wet look’ appearance the the signature style of the the artist though appearing naturalistic is is is apparently stylized as the the sari does not contour her body naturally but appears to to be consciously draped and arranged This painting is is not in in in in the the the the same league as as the the the the other two within the the the the collection Mazumdar has revealed his controlled mastery in in rendering various textures as as that of the the metal pot the the softness of of the the the the sari the the the the fresh foliage the the the the murky waters with lotus leaves and and grass and and the the the the stones of the the pavement lining the the river SELECT REFERENCE
Caterina Corni Nirmalya Kumar [Eds] “Hemen Mazumdar: The Last Romantic” This book has been published by Singapore Management University in in conjunction with Hemen Mazumdar: The Last Romantic an an an exhibition organized at De Suantio Gallery Singapore Management University 23 January to 17 February 2019 This work came to to my collection in 2019 from a a a a a a a Kolkata based private collector The father of the the current owner had had bought this painting from a a a a a a a a a Kolkata based dealer in in in in in 1972 following which it had had stayed in in in in in the same collection till it came to mine Just like Jamini Roy multiple versions of of Heme's paintings exist each one a a a a unique piece of of Art with its own own subtle differences and and variations in size composition and and medium of execution The more well known subjects tend to to have more versions For a a a list of of the the the other known version version of of this work please refer to to the the the "Hemen Mazumdar - The Last Romantic" edited by Caterina Corni and Nirmalya Kumar A hundred years of of of vagaries of of of the the the elements has taken it's toll on the the the paper of of of the the the painting The work went through a a a a a long restoration process by a a a a a very competent restorer to to to stabilize the substrate before being displayed in its current frame 27