Page 251 - AstaGuru Modern Odyssey

Lot No. 190
BIKASH BHATTACHARJEE
1940-2006

THE KING ON THE STREET
69.5 x 61.5 in (176.5 x 156.2 cm)
Oil on canvas
1993
Signed & Dated: Bottom Right
` 50,00,000 - 70,00,000
$ 60,976 - 85,366

Exhibited: ‘Bikash - Beauty & Bengal:
A selection of Works from 1950 – 2000’
at www.theartstrust.com, 16th October,
2022 (online).
Published: ‘Bikash - Beauty & Bengal: A
selection of Works from 1950 – 2000’ by
The Arts Trust, Mumbai, 2022, pg. 181.
Provenance: Property from a collection
based in Mumbai.

Belonging to the ‘The King Series’ suite of
works, the presented lot is titled ‘King of
the Street.’ Executed in 1993 in the medium
of oil, the painting features a solitary figure
of a young, malnourished beggar wearing
a crown. Positioned in the centre of the
canvas, the young man stands in a desolate Cover of the publication with the artwork illustrated.
urban landscape at night. Also featuring a
UNTITLED
UNTITLED
streetlight and a traffic signal, the abstracted 67 x 59 in (170.2 x 150 cm) 182 182
67 x 59 in (170.2 x 150 cm)
Oil on canvas | 1993
Oil on canvas | 1993
background conveys a sense of speed and
instability, mirroring the precarious existence
of those compelled to dwell on the streets.
The masterful use of colour and texture
creates a haunting atmosphere, drawing
the viewer into the beggar’s world and
evoking a sense of empathy. A poignant
portrayal of those living on fringes, the
work also captures the essence of Bikash 181 UNTITLED
58 x 40 in (147.3 x 101.6 cm)
Oil on canvas | 1993
Bhattacharjee’s artistic vision. 180 181 181