Page 190 - Iconic Master

Cry On The

Battlefield

IMPORTANT WORKS FROM THE SERIES

A BLESSING ON THE BATTLEFIELD II
50 x 60 in (127 x 152.4 cm)
Oil on canvas, 1998

BLESSINGS ON A BATTLE FIELD
69.8 x 47 in (177.2 x 119 cm)
Oil on canvas, 1999

Krishen Khanna's ‘Battlefield’ series
explores the anguish and human
cost of conflict. Drawing on the epic
Mahabharata and his own experiences
of the Partition, Khanna portrays the
emotional aftermath of war, blending
mythological and contemporary
narratives. The scene powerfully
evokes personal loss and sacrifice,
where monumental acts of heroism are
overshadowed by the tragedy of war’s
futility. In works like this, Khanna merges
the universal themes of grief, violence,
and redemption, presenting war not as
victory but as a landscape of enduring
sorrow and complex moral truths.

The presented lot, a poignant piece,
depicts a sorrow-stricken woman, her
face contorted in grief as she tenderly
holds a severed hand, likely belonging to
a fallen soldier.
LAMENT ON A BATTLEFIELD BLESSING ON THE BATTLEFIELD I BENEDICTION ON A BATTLEFIELD
54.4 x 31 in (137.2 x 78.7 cm) 60 x 56 in (152.4 x 142.2 cm) 144 x 96 in (365.6 x 243.8 cm)
Oil on canvas, 1998 (PRESENTED LOT) Oil on canvas, 1997 Acrylic & charcoal on canvas