Page 131 - AstaGuru Masters Legacy April 2024

Lot No. 34

GANESH PYNE
1937-2013

THE HEAD
21.5 x 18.5 in (54.6 x 47 cm)
Pen,ink,charcoal & pastel on paper pasted on card
2000
Signed & Dated: Bottom Right

` 10,00,000 - 15,00,000 | $12,195 - 18,293

Provenance: Property from an important collection
based in Kolkata.

Born in 1937 in Calcutta, Ganesh Pyne’s artistic
journey commenced in his early years with
sketches and doodles. After completing his
schooling, he pursued his passion by enrolling at
the Government College of Art & Crafts in Calcutta.
In 1959, he achieved a diploma in Fine Arts.

During his formative years, Pyne found inspiration
in the creative legacies of Abanindranath and
Gaganendranath Tagore. During the early 1960s,
he dedicated a portion of his day to sketching
for animated films at Mandar Mullick’s studio.
In 1963, he became a founding member of the
Society of Contemporary Artists, marking the
beginning of his consistent participation in the
society’s annual exhibitions, showcasing three
temperas or mixed media works until the late 1980s.

Initially, Pyne depicted vibrant mornings and
roadside temples in watercolours and sketches,
influenced by Walt Disney’s optimism. Influences
from artists such as Hals, Rembrandt, and Paul
Klee also shaped his vision. As time progressed, his
personal emotions became a wellspring of artistic
inspiration, channelling feelings of alienation, pain,
horror, and rage onto his canvases. His bold, precise,
and controlled lines resulted in drawings that
resonated powerfully in form and content. Stripped
of colour, his paintings found their strength in their
fundamental structure.