| Medium | : | Ink |
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This Pen & Ink drawing by Jamini Roy features a seated divine figure, likely Shiva, enclosed in a shrine motif. Executed in bold, linear strokes with a folk-art sensibility, this rare sketch reflects Roy’s iconic style and spiritual engagement with Indian tradition. A devotional miniature full of character.
₹75,000.00
Jamini Roy | Pen & Ink on Paper | 3.5 x 1.75 inches
This is a Pen & Ink drawing on paper by Jamini Roy, a vertical composition that encapsulates the artist’s folk-inspired aesthetic in a compact devotional form.
The artwork appears to depict a seated divine figure, possibly Shiva, holding a trident (trishul)—a classic symbol of the deity. The figure is enclosed within a shrine-like arch, suggesting the sanctity and reverence of the subject. Though drawn with quick, fluid strokes, the composition remains balanced and expressive. The oversized almond-shaped eyes, stylized jewelry, and rounded forms are quintessential elements of Jamini Roy’s reinterpretation of traditional Indian religious iconography.
This drawing, while informal, radiates spiritual simplicity and directness—highlighting Roy’s belief in art that connects deeply with indigenous traditions and everyday devotion. The use of aged brown paper further enhances the rustic, sacred feel of the work.
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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| Dimensions | 4.4 × 8.9 cm |
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