HEMENDRANATH MAZUMDAR (Manner of) 1894 - 1948

This work, in the manner of Hemendranath Mazumdar, reminds one of the stylistic orientations of theatrical art of 20th century Bengal. The feminine figure, with all her attributes draws a likely comparison with the character of Satyavati in Mahabharata. Garbed in the customery clothing of a rural bengal, it depicts the dramatic scene of Satyavati rowing her fishing boat in a moonlit night. The atmosphere evokes a sense of serene romanticism with its studied naturalism. The artist takes great pain in capturing the reflected radience of a full moon night on the figure and the rippling water around her. The characteristic handling of the oil paint in portraying the protagonist with typical physical traits of a bengali lass; the pronounced diaphenous nature of her tightly wound saree with the trademark bajubandh, pointedly suggest it to be a work of Hemendranath Mazumdar, reputed to have used his wife as a model.