Page 230 - Iconic Master

Lot No. 132

KRISHEN KHANNA

b. 1925
THE GENERAL MAKES A POINT
48 x 36 in (122 x 91.4 cm)
Acrylic & charcoal on canvas
Signed: Bottom Right
` 20,00,000 - 30,00,000 | $ 25,000 - 37,500
Published: ‘Krishen Khanna: In My 100th Year’
by Aleph Book Company, 2024, pg. 206
Provenance: Property from a collection based
in Mumbai

Krishen Khanna’s famous ‘General Series’ first
emerged in the 1970s and marked a significant
return to figuration, capturing the turbulent
socio-political climate of contemporary India.
This period, coinciding with the Indo-Pakistan
War of 1971 and the Emergency, reflects
the darker aspects of Indian history. Works
such as The Game I & The Game II depicts
officials amidst the dead, and The Anatomy
Lesson, where leaders examine a corpse,
exemplify his unflinching portrayal of the
horrors of war and the indifference of authority.

In the presented work, titled ‘The General
Makes A Point’, he portrays an army general
seated at his desk, surrounded by papers
and books. The figure, with a serious and
contemplative expression, brings attention
to his hands, as the index fingers of both
point towards each other, evoking a sense of
quiet intensity.

Cover of the publication with the work illustrated