| Medium | : | Tempera |
|---|---|---|
| Height | : | 10.4 inch / 26.4 cm |
| Width | : | 7.2 inch / 18.3 cm |
| Dimension | : | W: 18.3 cm × H: 26.4 cm |
This tempera on board by Jamini Roy presents a stylized horse, a recurring folk-inspired motif in his work. Characterized by bold outlines, flat colors, and ornamental detailing, the painting reflects Roy’s signature blend of modernist vision and indigenous Indian tradition, making it a timeless collectible.
Jamini Roy | Untitled | Tempera on Board | 10.4 x 7.2 inches | Circa
This charming artwork is an untitled tempera painting by Jamini Roy, one of India’s most celebrated modernist painters who turned to indigenous folk traditions for inspiration. The subject here is a stylized horse, a recurring motif in Roy’s oeuvre that draws from Bengal’s patachitra and terracotta folk figurines. The horse, painted in earthy maroon tones and adorned with simple geometric decorations in green, yellow, and red, stands against a flat ochre background. Its bold black outlines, large almond-shaped eye, and ornamental details showcase Roy’s signature style of blending folk simplicity with modern sensibilities. The painting captures not just the form of the horse but also its spirited presence, evoking both playfulness and ritualistic symbolism rooted in rural Bengal’s artistic heritage.
One of india’s most loved artists, Jamini Roy is remembered for forging a unique indian aesthetic for modern art by bringing together elements of traditional bengali folk art and kalighat patachitras, rendered in clean lines and earthy colours.
Born on 11 April 1887 in a landowning family in Bankura district of Bengal, Roy trained in European academic-realist painting at the Government College of Arts and Crafts, Calcutta, and began his career painting landscapes and portraits.
Soon, moving away from these, he started experimenting with a more indigenous visual vocabulary. Level surfaces, flattening of design in depth, and the use of dissonant primary colours were aspects of folk painting that Roy incorporated in his work. Also, he took up the volumetric forms of the Kalighat patachitras. However, unlike the spontaneous brushwork of the traditional patuas, Roy’s lines were more restrained and precisely delineated.
Roy would paint several versions of a subject, breaking and reforming the theme over months. Turning his family into a production unit, he tried to emulate a craft-guild mode of artistic production. He painted on a wide range of themes—common people, mythological tales, Christian iconography, as well as visual characteristics of home-sewn Bengal quilts and Byzantine icons.
Roy was awarded the Viceroy’s gold medal in 1935, the Padma Bhushan in 1955, and elected a fellow of the Lalit Kala Akademi in 1956. Declared a National Treasure artist in 1976, his works cannot be exported. He passed away on 24 April 1972.
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