Page 42 - Manifest September 2024

Lot No. 19

DHANRAJ BHAGAT

1917-1988
VEENA PLAYER
24 x 12 x 7 in (61 x 30.5 x 17.8 cm)
Aluminium
` 40,00,000 - 60,00,000 | $ 48,780 - 73,171
Provenance: Property from a collection based in New Delhi,
thence by descent

Illustrated are two views of the presented lot

Dhanraj Bhagat, a pioneering modernist
sculptor, gained fame for his innovative figurative
compositions characterised by distorted and
elongated forms. He stands out as one of the
earliest Indian artists to break away from the
confines of academic realism. Alongside Kanwal
Krishna, BC Sanyal, PN Mago, and KS Kulkarni,
he co-founded the Delhi Silpi Chakra in 1949.

Born in Lahore in 1917, Bhagat pursued sculpture
studies at the Mayo College of Art, Lahore. Over
the course of three decades, spanning from 1947
to 1977, he dedicated his services to the Delhi
Polytechnic, initially as a faculty member and later as
the esteemed Head of the Department of Sculpture.

Initially, Bhagat’s artistic endeavours focused on
realistic portrayals of rural life and landscapes in his
paintings. However, as he evolved, he developed a
distinct individualistic style that involved combining
various materials and geometric shapes. Beginning
with clay but later shifting to wood, he created works
such as the Monarch series (1966). His artistic
experimentation also extended to materials like
cement, plaster of Paris, iron filings, papier mache,
wood, wax, aluminium, copper, brass, and steel.
Additionally, he expressed his fascination with Indian
mythology through numerous drawings of figures and
scenes. While deeply grounded in the everyday life of
his fellow countrymen, he demonstrated remarkable
dexterity by fearlessly embarking on adventurous
artistic experiments.