SATISH SINHA (1894 - 1965)

Acquired from an auction in 2024
Private Collection, New Delhi

Satish Sinha, born in 1894 in north Kolkata, was an accomplished artist and draughtsman. Sinha is best known for his studies of the female form, a subject that occupied him throughout his career. This sketch made in 1941 fits into his larger body of work around this time, focused on capturing the lives of rural women. Rendered with quiet, confident lines, the works capture their subjects with warmth and immediacy, reflecting Sinha's sustained interest in the female figure.

This particular sketch is focused on a sitter draped in a saree. Sinha’s firm, short lines and clean technique of shading bring out finer details of the fabric’s bends and the curves of the sitter’s facial features. The sitter seems to be lost in quiet contemplation, gaze steadily fixed beyond the horizon. The artist is successful in bringing out a sense of longing through layers of graphite on paper.