| Medium | : | Tempera |
|---|---|---|
| Height | : | 19 inch / 48.3 cm |
| Width | : | 10.5 inch / 26.7 cm |
| Dimension | : | W: 26.7 cm × H: 48.3 cm |
A stylized Madonna and Child painting by Jamini Roy, rendered in tempera with folk-inspired forms, bold lines, and earthy colors, blending Christian themes with Indian traditional aesthetics.
Jamini Roy | Untitled | Tempera on Board | 19 x 10.5 inches | Circa
This painting is a work by Jamini Roy, one of India’s most celebrated modern artists known for his unique reinterpretation of traditional Indian folk and tribal art forms, particularly Kalighat Pata and Bengal folk styles. Executed in tempera on board, the artwork portrays a stylized Madonna and Child composition—a recurring theme in Roy’s body of work that fuses Christian iconography with Indian aesthetics. The central figure, a mother with almond-shaped eyes and strong, bold outlines, cradles her child with calm authority and grace. Flanking them are three male figures, possibly kings or wise men, characterized by their ornamental attire and regal postures, while angelic figures hover above. The use of earthy tones, simplified forms, and patterned detailing reflect Roy’s intent to make art accessible to the masses, moving away from Western realism towards indigenous visual language.
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 | 26.67 × 48.26 cm |
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