Jamini Roy by Mukul Dey (1895-1989) | Drawing | Chalk on paper
Accn. No. ngma-01555

JAMINI ROY (11.04.1887 - 24.04.1972)

National Gallery of Modern Art pays tribute to the Pioneering Artist JAMINI ROY on his birth anniversary.

Artist's Profile

Jamini Roy was one of the earliest and most significant modernists of twentieth century Indian art. From 1920 onwards his search for the essence of form led him to experiment with dramatically different visual style. His career spanning over nearly six decades had many significant turning points and his works collectively speak of the nature of his modernism and the prominent role he played in breaking away from the art practices of his time. Trained in the British academic style of painting in the early decades of the twentieth century, Jamini Roy became well-known as a skilful portraitist. He received regular commissions after he graduated from the Government Art School in what is now Kolkata, in 1916. The first three decades of the twentieth century saw a sea-change in cultural expressions in Bengal. The growing surge of the nationalist movement was prompting all kinds of experiments in literature and the visual arts. The Bengal School, founded by Abanindranath Tagore and Kala Bhavana in Santiniketan under Nandalal Bose rejected European naturalism and the use of oil as a medium and were exploring new ways of representation. Jamini Roy, too, consciously rejected the style he had mastered during his academic training and from the early 1920s searched for forms that stirred the innermost recesses of his being. He sought inspiration from sources as diverse as East Asian calligraphy, terracotta temple friezes, objects from folk arts and crafts traditions and the like.

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Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Three Pujarins Acc. No. 63 | Tempera on paper board

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From the end 1920s, Jamini Roy rejected the European oil medium and began to use the traditional pigments from vegetable and mineral sources. The imagery was often drawn from village life. Jamini Roy invested in the portrayal of peasants, artisans, followers of religious cults, village women and adivasis with immense dignity. He represented in his paintings what they held sacred with references from folk tales and narratives that permeated the rural consciousness. In this particular painting, one of his most iconic, the three women depicted as they worship, have been painted with thick, black contour lines with the application of the blue colour of the drape done flatly.
Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Rupa Katha Acc. No. 155 | Tempera on cloth

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The rustic figures and village society feature prominently in the paintings of Jamini Roy. It helped him to communicate with ordinary people because he was entering their familiar world of imagination.
Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Blue Boy Acc. No. 1677 | Tempera on paper

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From the end 1920s, Jamini Roy rejected the European oil medium and began to use the traditional pigments from vegetable and mineral sources. The imagery was often drawn from village life. Jamini Roy invested in the portrayal of peasants, artisans, followers of religious cults, village women and adivasis with immense dignity. He represented in his paintings what they held sacred with references from folk tales and narratives that permeated the rural consciousness. In this particular painting titled 'Blue Boy' the artist has made the erect figure of a boy against a bright yellow background. That Jamini Roy experimented with the application of paint as well is evident from the rubbed, pastel like textural effect of the blue colour. There is a hint of landscape in the form of stylised trees and huts along the top margin.
Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Ravana Acc. No. 3036 | Pen and ink on paper

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The sketches of Jamini Roy give evidence to the distinctive way in which the artist structured his figures. Each figure is created by assembling a set of body parts which are broken down into simple forms only to be reclaimed as a whole. The folk vision of Bengal’s arts and crafts traditions also influenced Jamini Roy’s works. This quick preliminary sketch by the artist illustrates a scene from the Ramayana with Ravana seen in the background along with Roy's characteristic terracotta horse in the foreground. The sharp, incisive lines reveal the artist's masterly control over form.
Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Ravana Acc. No. 3041 | Pen and ink on paper

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The sketches of Jamini Roy give evidence to the distinctive way in which the artist structured his figures. Each figure is created by assembling a set of body parts which are broken down into simple forms only to be reclaimed as a whole. The folk vision of Bengal’s arts and crafts traditions also influenced Jamini Roy’s works. This quick preliminary sketch by the artist depicts the evil king, Ravana from the epic of Ramayana. The sharp, incisive lines reveal Roy's masterly control over form.
Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Flight Acc. No. 3046 | Pen and ink on paper

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Before Jamini Roy evolved his individualistic idiom of simplified forms, he created artworks that were inspired by child art. In the NGMA collection, this sketch of a hybrid bird- man resembles child art (Accession 3046). There is also a finished drawing titled Icarus (Accession No.-3076), the character in Greek mythology who wanted to construct wings so that he can fly.
Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Sketches Acc. No. 3049 | Pen and ink on paper

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The sketches and drawings of Jamini Roy point to the artist’s imagination that grapples with manifest details of a visual idea for a painting. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. The imagery was drawn from village life. He painted from folk tales and narratives that permeated the rural consciousness. This particular sketch is divided into four different sketches depicting three female figure and one figure of Lord Hanuman, rendered with the fluid, fine lines of pen and ink in an idiom inspired by the folk art of the Bengal region.
Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Siva Parvati Acc. No. 3050 | Pen and ink on paper

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The sketches and drawings of Jamini Roy point to the artist’s imagination that grapples with manifest details of a visual idea for a painting. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. The imagery was drawn from village life. He painted from folk tales and narratives that permeated the rural consciousness. This shketch has been divided into two parts, the above part is showing Lord Shiva sitting on his Vahan Nandi while on the lower panel Lord Shiva has been depicted with his wife Parvati and son Ganehsa. Rendered with the fluid, fine lines of pen and ink in an idiom inspired by the folk art of the Bengal region.
Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Sacrifice Acc. No. 3055 | Pen and ink on paper

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The sketches and drawings of Jamini Roy point to the artist’s imagination that grapples with manifest details of a visual idea for a painting. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. The imagery was drawn from village life. He painted from folk tales and narratives that permeated the rural consciousness. In this particular sketch the space is divided into two parts, in the above part the man has been shown scarifying a child and in lower part four men are standing in a row. Rendered with the fluid, fine lines of pen and ink in an idiom inspired by the folk art of the Bengal region.
Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Voyage Acc. No. 3063 | Pen and ink on paper

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The sketches and drawings of Jamini Roy point to the artist’s imagination that grapples with manifest details of a visual idea for a painting. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. The imagery was drawn from village life. He painted from folk tales and narratives that permeated the rural consciousness. In this sketch, he has depicted people with their horses boarding a ship for voyage. Rendered with the fluid, fine lines of pen and ink in an idiom inspired by the folk art of the Bengal region.
Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Horse and Groom Acc. No. 3069 | Pen and ink on paper

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It is interesting to see from the hundreds of sketches and drawings in the NGMA collection, how Roy broke down the figure to the essential form that goes into its making and then synthesised it to suggest a structure. Jamini Roy made meticulous sketches and drawings in great detail before undertaking a painting. This sketch depicts two grooms and their horses.
Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Rider on Elephant Acc. No. 3072 | Pen and ink on paper

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It is interesting to see from the hundreds of sketches and drawings in the NGMA collection, how Roy broke down the figure to the essential form that goes into its making and then synthesised it to suggest a structure.
Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Icarus Acc. No. 3076 | Watercolour on paper

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Before Jamini Roy evolved his individualistic idiom of simplified forms, he created artworks that were inspired by child art. In the NGMA collection there are examples of this style. This finished drawing titled 'Icarus' (Accession No.-3076) is a character in Greek mythology who wanted to construct wings so that he can fly. Another example work inspired by child art is a sketch of a hybrid bird-man (Accession 3046).
Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Hanuman Flying Acc. No. 3084 | Pen and ink on paper

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There is a predominance of drawings and sketches by Jamini Roy in the NGMA Collection. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough especially when seriously studying Jamini Roy's pictorial language. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. The sketches are certainly prototypes for some of his paintings. In this particular sketch, Roy has depicted the god, Hanuman in an idiom inspired by the folk arts of the Bengal region.
Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Dancing Figure Acc. No. 3085 | Pencil on paper

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There is a predominance of drawings and sketches by Jamini Roy in the NGMA Collection. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough especially when seriously studying Jamini Roy's pictorial language. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. The sketches are certainly prototypes for some of his paintings. In this particular sketch, Roy has depicted a dancer in a form deeply influenced by the sculptural depictions on temple friezes.
Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Charkha Acc. No. 3086 | Pencil on paper

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It is interesting to see from the hundreds of sketches and drawings in the NGMA collection, how Roy broke down the figure to the essential form that goes into its making and then synthesised it to suggest a structure. From the end 1920s, Jamini Roy rejected the European oil medium and began to use traditional pigments from vegetable and mineral sources. And the imagery was drawn from village life. He invested the peasants, artisans, followers of religious cults, village women and adivasis with immense dignity and represented in his paintings what they held sacred. He also painted from folk tales and narratives that permeated the rural consciousness. This sketch with pencil on paper shows a seated figure spinning yarn on a spinning wheel.
Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Haygreeva Acc. No. 3092 | Pen and ink on paper

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The sketches and drawings of Jamini Roy point to the artist’s imagination that grapples with manifest details of a visual idea for a painting. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. In this particular sketch, Roy has depicted the sketch of a ‘Hayagreeva’, the horse headed incarnation of the Lord Vishnu in Hinduism. Rendered with the fluid, fine lines of pencil in an idiom inspired by the folk art of the Bengal region.
Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Durga Acc. No. 3098 | Pen and ink on paper

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There is a predominance of drawings and sketches by Jamini Roy in the NGMA Collection. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough especially when seriously studying Jamini Roy's pictorial language. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. The sketches are certainly prototypes for some of his paintings. This particular sketch is a preliminary study for one of his paintings depicting the goddess Durga on her mount, the tiger.
Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Durga Acc. No. 3099 | Tempera on paper

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There is a predominance of drawings and sketches by Jamini Roy in the NGMA Collection. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough especially when seriously studying Jamini Roy's pictorial language. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. The sketches are certainly prototypes for some of his paintings. This particular sketch is a preliminary study for one of his paintings depicting the goddess Durga on her mount, the tiger.
Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Byzantine Mosaic Acc. No. 3135 | Tempera on cloth

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Even while Roy was working with the various indigenous themes, he was simultaneously copying from the works of the great European masters and the classical art styles. His studio must have been a laboratory where he would study the elements of composition and how the paint was applied. The artist was inspired by the Byzantine art and attempted to emulate the texture of the mosaics.
Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Drummer-II Acc. No. 3145 | Tempera on paper

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Rejecting the academic style painting Jamini Roy introduced a new imagery and art practice representing the adivasis, the peasants and the ordinary villagers inspired by the folk arts of the Bengal region, the forms of which he knew intimately. The two paintings of Drummers is an illustration of the same.
Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Queen on Tiger Acc. No. 3146 | Tempera on Board

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There is a strong element of fantasy in the richly saturated palette that Jamini Roy creates from a limited range of vegetable, mineral and earth colours. He drew the imagery using simplification of forms inspired by the folk arts of the region that had evolved over the centuries. The bright colours and flat forms demolish the boundaries of naturalism and lend a playful mood to this depiction of the goddess Durga on her mount, the tiger.
Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Vaishnavas Acc. No. 3147 | Tempera on cardboard

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This painting is an evocative image of a rural community. Jamini Roy represents a beautiful practice where groups of Vaishnavas go around villages singing kirtans (devotional songs) on the life of Krishna, and seeking alms. There is a nuance of ecstasy in the raised arms of the figures of the singers. Roy conveys a sense of an idyll where faith, music and dance combine to create an organic wholeness in life. It is also interesting to see how Roy broke down the figure to the essential form that goes into its making and then synthesised it to suggest a structure. Jamini Roy often drew his imagery from village life narrating the life of the peasants, artisans, followers of religious cults, village women and adivasis with immense dignity and representations that were authentic using simplification of form inspired by the folk arts of the region that had evolved over the centuries.
Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Kirtan Acc. No. 3148 | Tempera on cloth

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From the end 1920s, Jamini Roy began to use traditional pigments from vegetable and mineral sources and the imagery was drawn from village life. He invested the peasants, artisans, followers of religious cults, village women and adivasis with immense dignity. He represented in his paintings what they held sacred. He painted from folk tales and narratives that permeated the rural consciousness. His return to his rural roots was prompted by an ideal of organic beauty that he had experienced in the village of his birth, Beliatore in the district of Bankura in West Bengal.
Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Flight to Egypt Acc. No. 3148 | Tempera on cloth

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The series of images depicting the life of Jesus Christ is one of the most inventive styles in Jamini Roy's oeuvre. He brings to these divine figures both a sense of sacredness as well as a sense of intimacy. This painting narrates the scene from the biblical gospels of the Flight Into Egypt with the figure of Mary, the mother seated with infant Christ on her lap and the mule being led by Joseph. The 'Flight Into Egypt' paintings of the Christ series particularly has a touch of the familiar world with close resemblances of an ordinary family with a new born infant fleeing to safety. The picture space is also livened up with the border comprising of geometric patterns along the margin of the painting and the hint of landscape in the form of stylised trees on either ends of the paintings.
Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Man with a Bird Acc. No. 3150 | Tempera on cloth

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From the end 1920s, Jamini Roy rejected the European oil medium and began to use the traditional pigments from vegetable and mineral sources. The imagery was often drawn from village life. Jamini Roy invested in the portrayal of peasants, artisans, followers of religious cults, village women and adivasis with immense dignity. He represented in his paintings what they held sacred with references from folk tales and narratives that permeated the rural consciousness. In this particular painting titled 'Man with a bird' the artist has invested his male figure with robust dignity as he rests his arms on a staff atop which is perched a parrot. The figure is painted with thick, black contouring lines and the simplification of forms suggests a sculptural quality. An ornate border along the top margin enclose the figure of the man.
Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Last Supper Acc. No. 3152 | Tempera on cloth

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In the 1940s, Roy painted one of his most powerful series of images revolving around the life of Jesus Christ. Although, he may have painted occasional images of Christ in the previous decade, he developed the visual idea more fully in the 1940s. What was most thought-provoking about these paintings was Roy's skill in adapting stories from an alien culture and yet giving them a familiar appearance, as if they were people from our own villages. The language of the Christ painting is remarkable for other reasons as well. Roy invests the grave, contemplative faces in their somewhat hieratic poses with iconicity.
Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Flight to Egypt Acc. No. 3155 | Tempera on cloth

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The series of images depicting the life of Jesus Christ is one of the most inventive styles in Jamini Roy's oeuvre. He brings to these divine figures both a sense of sacredness as well as a sense of intimacy. This painting narrates the scene from the biblical gospels of the Flight Into Egypt with the figure of Mary, the mother seated with infant Christ on her lap and the mule being led by Joseph. The 'Flight Into Egypt' paintings of the Christ series particularly has a touch of the familiar world with close resemblances of an ordinary family with a new born infant fleeing to safety.
Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Father and Son Acc. No. 3157 | Tempera on cloth

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From the end 1920s, Jamini Roy rejected the European oil medium and began to use traditional pigments from vegetable and mineral sources and the imagery was drawn from village life. He invested the peasants, artisans, followers of religious cults, village women and adivasis with immense dignity. He represented in his paintings what they held sacred. He painted from folk tales and narratives that permeated the rural consciousness.
Epic Myth & Folk Cults

The Last Painting Acc. No. 12729 | Tempera on mat

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In the 1940s, Roy painted one of his most powerful series of images revolving around the life of Jesus Christ. Although, he may have painted occasional images of Christ in the previous decade, he developed the visual idea more fully in the 1940s. What was most thought-provoking about these paintings was Roy's skill in adapting stories from an alien culture and yet giving them a familiar appearance, as if they were people from our own villages. The language of the Christ painting is remarkable for other reasons as well. Roy invests the grave, contemplative faces in their somewhat hieratic poses with iconicity.
Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Abstract Wooden Doll, 1950 Acc. No. 12775 | Wood
Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Head Acc. No. 12776 | Wood
Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Head, 1940 Acc. No. 12779 | Wood
Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Head, 1940 Acc. No. 12780 | Wood
Birds & Beasts

Bird Acc. No. 3111 | Tempera on paper

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There are touches of irony, playfulness and whimsy in the paintings of birds and beasts that Jamini Roy did even as he stylised them in pure forms. The playful sense of intimacy always comes as a pleasing surprise. This painting of 'Bird' has a witty perkiness.
Birds & Beasts

Cat Acc. No. 3028 | Pen and ink on paper

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It is interesting to see from the hundreds of sketches and drawings in the NGMA collection, how Jamini Roy broke down the figure to the essential form that goes into its making and then synthesised it to suggest a structure.
Birds & Beasts

Rats Acc. No. 3033 | Watercolour on paper

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There are touches of irony, playfulness and whimsy in the paintings of birds and beasts that Jamini Roy did even as he stylised them in pure forms. The playful sense of intimacy always comes as a pleasing surprise. This painting titled 'Rats' is enhanced in its quality by the use of richly saturated palette that the artist created from the limited range of vegetable, mineral and earth colours and the black border framing the figures of the rats.
Birds & Beasts

Cat Acc. No. 3034 | Pen and ink on paper

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Given the air of solemnity in Jamini Roy's paintings, the touches of irony, playfulness and whimsy come as a pleasing surprise. The lighter touch is mostly manifest in his paintings of birds and beasts.
Birds & Beasts

Elephant Acc. No. 3044 | Tempera on paper

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The painting depicts an elephant painted in a folk style, with the typical elongated eyes and bright colors by the artist.
Birds & Beasts

Elephant and Cow Acc. No. 3045 | Pen and ink on paper

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The sketches and drawings of Jamini Roy point to the artist’s imagination that grapples with manifest details of a visual idea for a painting. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. In this particular sketch, Roy has depicted an elephant and a cow, rendered with the fluid, fine lines of pencil in an idiom inspired by the folk arts of the Bengal region.
Birds & Beasts

Bull Acc. No. 3062 | Tempera on paper

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In the early 1920s Jamini Roy made paintings using only one or two colours with application of paint being flat and the non essential details in the background discarded as in the Chinese landscapes. This painting appears to have been executed in a similar style.
Birds & Beasts

Horse Acc. No. 3067 | Pen and ink on paper

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The large number of sketches and drawings in the NGMA collection give evidence of the distinctive way in which Jamini Roy structured his figures. The detailed pen and ink drawing of the horse figure has a marked resemblance to the folk vision of Bengal's arts and crafts tradition.
Birds & Beasts

Cat and Crab Acc. No. 3074 | Pen and ink on paper

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It is interesting to see from the hundreds of sketches and drawings in the NGMA collection, how Roy broke down the figure to the essential form that goes into its making and then synthesised it to suggest a structure. Jamini Roy made meticulous sketches and drawings in great detail before undertaking a painting. This sketch has resemblance to the painting 'Cat with Lobster' (Accession No. 107).
Birds & Beasts

Bird Acc. No. 3075 | Pen and ink on paper

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Given the air of solemnity in Jamini Roy's paintings, the touches of irony, playfulness and whimsy come as a pleasing surprise. The lighter touch is mostly manifest in his paintings of birds and beasts. This sketch titled 'Bird' has a witty perkiness about it.
Birds & Beasts

Winged Horse Acc. No. 3081 | Pen and ink on paper

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There are touches of irony, playfulness and whimsy in the paintings of birds and beasts that Jamini Roy did even as he stylised them in pure forms. The playful sense of intimacy always comes as a pleasing surprise. This painting of 'Winged Horse' has a witty perkiness.
Birds & Beasts

Peacock Acc. No. 3100 | Pen and ink on paper

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There are touches of irony, playfulness and whimsy in the paintings of birds and beasts that Jamini Roy did even as he stylised them in pure forms. The playful sense of intimacy always comes as a pleasing surprise. This painting of 'Peacock' has an alluring charm about it. It must have served as either a decorative motif or a sketch for a more elaborate and detailed painting.
Birds & Beasts

Bull Acc. No. 3129 | Wash on paper

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Jamini Roy's mastery over the techniques of the great European painters led him to paint local landscapes and animals using tempera and wash technique. Interestingly, he continued to show these European style landscapes and animals drawing along with his newly-evolved folk style. In this particular painting, he has depicted a sketch of a bull, rendered with fluid, soft strokes in tonal variations using the wash technique.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Black Horse Acc. No. 79 | Tempera on paper

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There are touches of irony, playfulness and whimsy in the paintings of birds and beasts that Jamini Roy did even as he stylised them in pure forms. The playful sense of intimacy always comes as a pleasing surprise. This painting titled 'Black Horse' is one of the best paintings in the collection of the museum. The strong element of fantasy is enhanced by the use of rich Indian red in the background even as the artist has drawn the stylised horse using minimalist form.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Cat and Lobster Acc. No. 107 | Tempera on paper

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Perhaps one of the most iconic paintings of Roy, 'Cat and Lobster' depicts a cat with a lobster in its mouth ready to be devoured, with its tail ending in a colourful trefoil. There is a strong element of fantasy in the richly saturated palette that Roy creates from a limited range of vegetable, mineral and earth colours. The bright colours and flat forms demolish the boundaries of naturalism and lend a playful mood to the depiction.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketch No. 2 Acc. No. 1100 | Pen and ink on paper
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketch No. 3 Acc. No. 1101

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There is a predominance of drawings and sketches by Jamini Roy in the NGMA Collection. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough especially when seriously studying Jamini Roy's pictorial language. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. The sketches are certainly prototypes for some of his paintings. In this particular sketch, Roy has depicted two male figures in an idiom inspired from the folk arts of the Bengal region.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketch No. 4 Acc. No. 1102 | Pen and ink on paper
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketch No. 5 Acc. No. 1103 | Pen and ink on paper
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketch No. 6 Acc. No. 1104 | Pen and ink on paper

×
The large number of sketches and drawings in the NGMA collection give evidence of the distinctive way in which Jamini Roy structured his figures. Each figure is created by assembling a set of body parts which are broken down into simple forms only to be reclaimed as a whole. In this particular sketch the space is divided into two horizontal parts. The topmost part shows two figures of elephants whereas the lower panel shows three male figures facing towards their right. The space division of this pastoral scene is inspired by the concept of space division in the vertical scroll paintings of Bengal and the narrative modes used in the temple friezes of the region.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketch No. 7 Acc. No. 1105 | Pen and ink on paper

×
The sketches and drawings of Jamini Roy point to the artist’s imagination that grapples with manifest details of a visual idea for a painting. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. The imagery was drawn from village life. He painted from folk tales and narratives that permeated the rural consciousness. In this particular sketch the space is divided into ten small drawings of either animal or human figure. This has been rendered with the fluid, fine lines of pen and ink in an idiom inspired by the folk art of the Bengal region. The space division of this pastoral scene is inspired by the concept of space division in the vertical scroll paintings of Bengal and the narrative modes used in the temple friezes of the region.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketch No. 8 Acc. No. 1106 | Pen and ink on paper

×
There is a predominance of drawings and sketches by Jamini Roy in the NGMA Collection. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough especially when seriously studying Jamini Roy's pictorial language. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. The sketches are certainly prototypes for some of his paintings. In this particular sketch, Roy has depicted a scene with two warriors guarding a couple, in an idiom inspired by the folk arts of the Bengal region.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketch No. 9 Acc. No. 1107 | Pen and ink on paper

×
It is interesting to see from the hundreds of sketches and drawings in the NGMA collection, how Roy broke down the figure to the essential form that goes into its making and then synthesised it to suggest a structure. From the end 1920s, Jamini Roy rejected the European oil medium and began to use traditional pigments from vegetable and mineral sources. And the imagery was drawn from village life. He invested the peasants, artisans, followers of religious cults, village women and adivasis with immense dignity. He represented in his paintings what they held sacred. He painted from folk tales and narratives that permeated the rural consciousness. This sketch portrays four standing male figures.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketch No. 10 Acc. No. 1108 | Pen and ink on paper

×
There is a predominance of drawings and sketches by Jamini Roy in the NGMA Collection. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough especially when seriously studying Jamini Roy's pictorial language. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. The sketches are certainly prototypes for some of his paintings. In this particular sketch, the artist has depicted a seated human figure, probably a ruler on a thrown in a form deeply influenced by the folk arts of rural Bengal.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketch No. 11 Acc. No. 1109 | Pen and ink on paper

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There is a predominance of drawings and sketches by Jamini Roy in the NGMA Collection. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough especially when seriously studying Jamini Roy's pictorial language. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. The sketches are certainly prototypes for some of his paintings. This particular sketch depicts a procession of kings and warriors.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketch No. 12 Acc. No. 1110 | Watercolor, line drawing on paper

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The sketches and drawings of Jamini Roy point to the artist's diverse experiment with form. The sketches are certainly prototypes for some of his paintings. The sketches are also evidences of the artist's efforts and attempts through his long career to arrive at his unique style of painting using simple, pure forms. This monochromatic sketch executed using earth red colour is that of a Mother and child. Jamini Roy has painted numerous paintings with this theme and the sketch could probably have served as a prototype for one of the paintings.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketch No. 13 Acc. No. 1111 | Pen and ink on paper

×
There is a predominance of drawings and sketches by Jamini Roy in the NGMA Collection. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough especially when seriously studying Jamini Roy's pictorial language. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. The sketches are certainly prototypes for some of his paintings. In this particular sketch, Roy has depicted a female figure standing amidst trees. The forms and imagery have been stylised in an idiom inspired from the folk arts of the Bengal region.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketch No. 14 Acc. No. 1112 | Pen and ink on paper

×
There is a predominance of drawings and sketches by Jamini Roy in the NGMA Collection. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough especially when seriously studying Jamini Roy's pictorial language. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. The sketches are certainly prototypes for some of his paintings. In this particular sketch, Roy has depicted dancing figures in an idiom inspired from the folk arts of the Bengal region.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketch No. 15 Acc. No. 1113 | Pen and ink on paper

×
There is a predominance of drawings and sketches by Jamini Roy in the NGMA Collection. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough especially when seriously studying Jamini Roy's pictorial language. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. The sketches are certainly prototypes for some of his paintings. In this particular sketch, the artist has depicted a human figure in quick, short lines inspired by the simplicity of child-art.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketch No. 16 Acc. No. 1114 | Pen and ink on paper
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketch No. 17 Acc. No. 1115 | Pen and ink on paper
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketch No. 18 Acc. No. 1116 | Pen and ink on paper

×
There is a predominance of drawings and sketches by Jamini Roy in the NGMA Collection. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough especially when seriously studying Jamini Roy's pictorial language. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. The sketches are certainly prototypes for some of his paintings. The imagery was drawn from village life. He painted from folk tales and narratives that permeated the rural consciousness. This particular set of sketches depict a series of female figures.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketch No. 19 Acc. No. 1117 | Pen and ink on paper

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It is interesting to see from the hundreds of sketches and drawings in the NGMA collection, how Roy broke down the figure to the essential form that goes into its making and then synthesised it to suggest a structure. In this particular sketch the space is divided into eight parts with each part enclosing a small drawing of either an animal or human being. The top most left panel encloses a cow, two panels that enclose two small sketches of Mother and Child and the bottom left square with a couple in it while the the rest have only woman figures. The sketches are evidences that Jamini Roy made meticulous sketches and drawings in great detail before undertaking a painting and that he chose to narrate imagery drawn from the village life, be it the peasants, artisans, followers of religious cults, women, etc.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketch No. 20 Acc. No. 1118 | Pen and ink on paper

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The sketches of Jamini Roy give evidence to the distinctive way in which the artist structured his figures. Each figure is created by assembling a set of body parts which are broken down into simple forms only to be reclaimed as a whole. The folk vision of Bengal’s arts and crafts traditions also influenced Jamini Roy’s works. This sketch of a man in a warrior-like costume is illustrative of these visual elements.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketch No. 21 Acc. No. 1119 | Pen and ink on paper

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The sketches of Jamini Roy give evidence to the distinctive way in which the artist structured his figures. Each figure is created by assembling a set of body parts which are broken down into simple forms only to be reclaimed as a whole. The folk vision of Bengal’s arts and crafts traditions also influenced Jamini Roy’s works. This sketch of a seated human figure, with the form expressed in a folk idiom is illustrative of these visual elements.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketch No. 22 Acc. No. 1120 | Pen and ink on paper

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There is a predominance of drawings and sketches by Jamini Roy in the NGMA Collection. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough especially when seriously studying Jamini Roy's pictorial language. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. The sketches are certainly prototypes for some of his paintings. In this particular sketch, Roy has depicted two male figures in an idiom inspired by the folk arts of the Bengal region.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketch No. 23 Acc. No. 1121 | Pencil on paper

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The sketches and drawings of Jamini Roy point to the artist’s imagination that grapples with manifest details of a visual idea for a painting. Jamini Roy made meticulous sketches and drawings in great detail before undertaking a painting. The three sketches above are preparatory drawings that reveal Roy's experiments with form. Some of his most iconic paintings of dolls, seated women and horses can be traced back to these.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Mendicant Acc. No. 3015 | Ink on paper

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The sketches and drawings of Jamini Roy point to the artist’s imagination that grapples with manifest details of a visual idea for a painting. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. In this particular sketch, Roy has depicted a mendicant, rendered with the fluid, fine lines of pen and ink in an idiom inspired by the folk art of the Bengal region.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketches (Two Pieces) Acc. No. 3017 | Pen and ink on paper

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There is a predominance of drawings and sketches by Jamini Roy in the NGMA Collection. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough especially when seriously studying Jamini Roy's pictorial language. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. The sketches are certainly prototypes for some of his paintings. The image above is an assortment of smaller sketches quickly drawn by the artist on a postcard.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketches Acc. No. 3021 | Pen and ink on paper
Calligraphy & Sketch

Devotee Acc. No. 3023 | Brush and indian ink on paper

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From 1924 onwards, Jamini Roy experimented with a new idiom. It was clear that he was looking for ways to simplify form. His images for the most part became monochromatic - an austere play of white, soft grey and black. With a masterly control of the brush, he created contours of the form with fluid, calligraphic lines. The above sketch of a woman with her hands folded in prayer is illustrative of these visual elements.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Offering Acc. No. 3024 | Pencil on paper

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There is a predominance of drawings and sketches by Jamini Roy in the NGMA Collection. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough especially when seriously studying Jamini Roy's pictorial language. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. The sketches are certainly prototypes for some of his paintings. This particular sketch depicts a woman making an offering, as she sits on a throne.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Standing Figure Acc. No. 3025 | Pen and ink on paper

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There is a predominance of drawings and sketches by Jamini Roy in the NGMA Collection. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough especially when seriously studying Jamini Roy's pictorial language. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. The sketches are certainly prototypes for some of his paintings. This particular sketch is a preliminary study for one of the paintings from the Christ series, depicting Virgin Mary with the baby Christ.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Deity Acc. No. 3026 | Pen and ink on paper

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The sketches and drawings of Jamini Roy point to the artist’s imagination that grapples with manifest details of a visual idea for a painting. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. The imagery was drawn from village life. He painted from folk tales and narratives that permeated the rural consciousness. In this sketch, he has depicted a procession of deity, rendered with the fluid, fine lines of pen and ink in an idiom inspired by the folk art of the Bengal region.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketches Acc. No. 3027 | Pen and ink on paper

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The sketches and drawings of Jamini Roy point to the artist's diverse experiment with form. The sketches are certainly prototypes for some of his paintings. The sketches are also evidences of the artist's efforts and attempts through his long career to arrive at his unique style of painting using simple, pure forms. This pen and ink sketch portrays two mother and child sketches on either side of the central sketch of a woman. There also sketches of huts and other decorative motifs that the artist must have employed in some of his paintings.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketches Acc. No. 3030 | Pen and ink on paper

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The sketches and drawings of Jamini Roy point to the artist’s imagination that grapples with manifest details of a visual idea for a painting. The artist made meticulous sketches and drawings in great detail before undertaking a painting. The two sketches above are preparatory drawings that reveal Roy's experiments with form.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Head Studies Acc. No. 3031 | Pen and ink on paper

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The sketches and drawings of Jamini Roy point to the artist’s imagination that grapples with manifest details of a visual idea for a painting. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. The imagery was drawn from village life. He painted from folk tales and narratives that permeated the rural consciousness. This particular sketch has been divided into seven small portraits of men and women, rendered with fluid, fine lines of pen and ink in an idiom inspired by the folk art of the Bengal region. The space division of this pastoral scene is inspired by the concept of space division in the vertical scroll paintings of Bengal and the narrative modes used in the temple friezes of the region.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Rider Acc. No. 3039 | Pen and ink on paper

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Jamini Roy made meticulous sketches and drawings in great detail before undertaking a painting. This particular sketch is marked by its simplicity of form and the innocence in the almond eyes of both the cat and its rider.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Drummers Acc. No. 3042 | Pen and ink on paper

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The large number of sketches and drawings in the NGMA collection give evidence of the distinctive way in which Jamini Roy structured his figures. Each figure is created by assembling a set of body parts which are broken down into simple forms only to be reclaimed as a whole.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Man with a Hat Acc. No. 3043 | Pen and ink on paper

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There is a predominance of drawings and sketches by Jamini Roy in the NGMA Collection. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough especially when seriously studying Jamini Roy's pictorial language. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. The sketches are certainly prototypes for some of his paintings. This particular sketch depicts a man dressed in a suit and a hat over his head as he sits on a chair with his arms folded. Roy achieved a simplicity in form that was inspired by the folk arts of rural Bengal. 3047 Jamini Roy Horse Pen and ink on paper The large number of sketches and drawings in the NGMA collection give evidence of the distinctive way in which Jamini Roy structured his figures. Each figure is created by assembling a set of body parts which are broken down into simple forms only to be reclaimed as a whole as can be seen in this sketch of a horse. Both the human figure and the horse is made of oval forms. There is a hint of a border along the top margin composed of geometric motifs.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketches Acc. No. 3048 | Pen and ink on paper

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The sketches and drawings of Jamini Roy point to the artist’s imagination that grapples with manifest details of a visual idea for a painting. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. The imagery was drawn from village life. He painted from folk tales and narratives that permeated the rural consciousness. In this particular sketch, Roy has depicted different small sketches of animal and sculpture, rendered with the fluid, fine lines of pen and ink in an idiom inspired by the folk art of the Bengal region.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketches Acc. No. 3052 | Pen and ink on paper

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The sketches and drawings of Jamini Roy point to the artist’s imagination that grapples with manifest details of a visual idea for a painting. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. The imagery was drawn from village life. He painted from folk tales and narratives that permeated the rural consciousness. this particular sketch consist of sixteen small sketches of portrait of people and animal drawing, rendered with the fluid, fine lines of pen and ink in an idiom inspired by the folk art of the Bengal region.
Calligraphy & Sketch

1] Sketches, 2] Flight to Egypt Acc. No. 3053 | Pen and ink on paper

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The sketches of Jamini Roy give evidence to the distinctive way in which the artist structured his figures. Each figure is created by assembling a set of body parts which are broken down into simple forms only to be reclaimed as a whole. The folk vision of Bengal’s arts and crafts traditions also influenced Jamini Roy’s works. The above sketches are preparatory drawings that the artist created for his paintings that includes his depiction of the biblical episode of 'The Flight to Egypt'.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Horse Acc. No. 3058 | Watercolor on Paper

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From 1924 onwards, Jamini Roy experimented with a new idiom. It was clear that he was looking for ways to simplify form. His images for the most part became monochromatic - an austere play of white, soft grey and black. With a masterly control of the brush, he created contours of the form with fluid, calligraphic lines. The above sketch of a horse is illustrative of these visual elements.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Head Acc. No. 3059 | Watercolor on Paper

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From 1924 onwards, Jamini Roy experimented with a new idiom. It was clear that he was looking for ways to simplify form. His images for the most part became monochromatic. With a masterly control of the brush, he created contours of the form with fluid, calligraphic lines. The above sketch is a head study illustrative of these visual elements.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Deity Acc. No. 3060 | Brush Drawing on Paper

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From the end 1920s, Jamini Roy had rejected the European oil medium and began to use traditional pigments from vegetable and mineral sources. The imagery too was drawn from village life. He painted from folk tales and narratives that permeated the rural consciousness. This monochromatic sketch of a deity illustrates these visual elements and influences.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketch Acc. No. 3073 | Brush Drawing on Paper

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The large number of sketches and drawings in the NGMA collection give evidence of the distinctive way in which Jamini Roy structured his figures. Each figure is created by assembling a set of body parts which are broken down into simple forms only to be reclaimed as a whole. In this particular sketch the space is divided into three horizontal parts. The topmost part shows three standing figures. The middle panel shows two birds and a standing figure in the middle, while the bottom panel shows two cows, one on each side of a flowering plant in the middle. The space division of this pastoral scene is inspired by the concept of space division in the vertical scroll paintings of Bengal and the narrative modes used in the temple friezes of the region.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sringar Acc. No. 3079 | Watercolour on paper

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The sketches and drawings of Jamini Roy point to the artist's diverse experiment with form. The sketches are certainly prototypes for some of his paintings. The sketches are also evidences of the artist's efforts and attempts through his long career to arrive at his unique style of painting using simple, pure forms. This particular monochromatic sketch in Indian red shows a woman seated and is attending to her toilet. The second sketch is probably a drawing of a figure.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Horse Acc. No. 3080 | Brush and ink on paper

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The sketches and drawings of Jamini Roy point to the artist's diverse experiment with form. The sketches are certainly prototypes for some of his paintings. The sketches are also evidences of the artist's efforts and attempts through his long career to arrive at his unique style of painting using simple, pure forms. This particular sketch of horse must have served as a prelude to the beautiful painting titled 'Black Horse' (Accession No. 79).
Calligraphy & Sketch

Kinner Acc. No. 3089 | Pen and ink on paper

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The sketches and drawings of Jamini Roy point to the artist’s imagination that grapples with manifest details of a visual idea for a painting. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. In this particular sketch, Roy has depicted the sculptural representation of a Kinner, rendered with the fluid, fine lines of pen and ink in an idiom inspired by the folk art of the Bengal region.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketches Acc. No. 3090 | Pen and ink on paper

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Detailed preparatory sketches by the artist made with pen and ink on paper.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Flying Figures Acc. No. 3093 | Pen and ink on paper

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There is a predominance of drawings and sketches by Jamini Roy in the NGMA Collection. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough especially when seriously studying Jamini Roy's pictorial language. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. The sketches are certainly prototypes for some of his paintings. This particular sketch is a preliminary study for the recurring motif of the flying figures seen in many of Roy's works.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketch Acc. No. 3097 | Ink on paper

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The sketches and drawings of Jamini Roy point to the artist's diverse experiment with form. The sketches are certainly prototypes for some of his paintings. The sketches are also evidences of the artist's efforts and attempts through his long career to arrive at his unique style of painting using simple, pure forms. Jamini Roy has portrayed cat and other feline forms in many of his paintings. These sketches must have served as a prelude to some of those paintings. Similarly the figure of a seated woman also occurs in his more famous paintings of Mother and Child.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketches (Two Pieces) Acc. No. 3102 | Pen and ink on paper

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There is a predominance of drawings and sketches by Jamini Roy in the NGMA Collection. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough especially when seriously studying Jamini Roy's pictorial language. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. The sketches are certainly prototypes for some of his paintings.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketch Jamini Roy (1887-1972) | Acc. No. 3108 | Ink & watercolour on paper

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From the end 1920s, Jamini Roy rejected the European oil medium and began to use the traditional pigments from vegetable and mineral sources. The imagery was often drawn from village life. Jamini Roy invested in the portrayal of peasants, artisans, followers of religious cults, village women and Adivasis with immense dignity. He represented in his paintings what they held sacred with references from folk tales and narratives that permeated the rural consciousness. In this particular sketch the space is divided into six parts with each part enclosing a drawing of tribal men and woman. With a masterly control of the brush, he created contours of the figures with fluid, calligraphic lines against the flat yellow background.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Vaishanavas (Double Picture) Acc. No. 3118 | Tempera on paper

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From the end 1920s, Jamini Roy began to use traditional pigments from vegetable and mineral sources and the imagery was drawn from village life. He invested the peasants, artisans, followers of religious cults, village women and adivasis with immense dignity.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketch-I Acc. No. 12580 | Pen and ink on paper

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It is interesting to see from the hundreds of sketches and drawings in the NGMA collection, how Roy broke down the figure to the essential form that goes into its making and then synthesised it to suggest a structure. In this particular are shown three men bearing religious markings on their forehead of the Vaishnavite sect. The sketches are evidences that Jamini Roy made meticulous sketches and drawings in great detail before undertaking a painting and that he chose to narrate imagery drawn from the village life, be it the peasants, artisans, followers of religious cults, women, etc.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketch-II Acc. No. 12581 | Pen and ink on paper

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It is interesting to see from the hundreds of sketches and drawings in the NGMA collection, how Roy broke down the figure to the essential form that goes into its making and then synthesised it to suggest a structure. Jamini Roy made meticulous sketches and drawings in great detail before undertaking a painting.
Calligraphy & Sketch

Sketch-V Acc. No. 12584 | Pen and ink on paper

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The sketches and drawings of Jamini Roy point to the artist's diverse experimentation with form. The sketches are certainly prototypes for some of his paintings. The sketches are also evidences of the artist's efforts and attempts through his long career to arrive at his unique style of painting using simple, pure forms. dst trees. The forms and imagery have been stylised in an idiom inspired from the folk arts of the Bengal region.
Krishna Leela

Krishna and Balarama Acc. No. 66 | Tempera on canvas

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Jamini Roy adopted the tribhanga or bent axis for the Krishna figures from traditional iconography. But even so, he infuses these paintings with intense lyricism. In this particular painting the artist portrays an evocative image of a rural community with the blue lord Krishna and his brother Balaram in symmetric poses. The richly saturated palette and application of flat tones demolish the boundaries of naturalism. With stylised and suggestive tree forms, Jamini Roy creates an idyllic pastoral scene, a rural utopia of his imagination. In keeping with the theme, the imagery is invested with a playful iconicity.
Krishna Leela

Offering to Krishna Acc. No. 78 | Tempera on cloth

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This painting is an evocative image of a rural community. Jamini Roy has beautifully represented in many of his paintings the sect of the Vaishnavas, the followers of Krishna as either making offerings to the lord or on the way to a temple in a procession or going around villages singing kirtans (devotional songs) on the life of Krishna, and seeking alms. It is interesting to see how Roy broke down the figure to the essential form that goes into its making and then synthesised it to suggest a structure. Jamini Roy drew imagery that was authentic using simplification of form inspired by the folk arts of the region that had evolved over the centuries. In this painting the artist has adopted the tribhanga or the bent axis from the traditional iconography in the representation of the figures of Gopini or herd women or milkmaids. The demure posture and the offerings in pots in their hands is suggestive of the reverential demeanour of the figures. The artist has also adhered to the notions of ideal feminine beauty with the depiction of the doe eyes and the voluptuous figures of the Gopinis. There is a strong element of fantasy in the richly saturated palette that Roy has used particularly for the Krishna-Leela series of works. The artist conveys a sense of an idyll where faith, religion and spirituality create an organic wholeness in life.
Krishna Leela

Gopis in the Grove of Vrindavana Acc. No. 2519 | Glass crystal

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The Krishna Leela series of painting is of a different character. nstead of the sturdy, erect figures in his other works, in these paintings the figures have a bent in their axes. With stylised birds, animals and suggestive tree forms, Jamini Roy created an idyllic pastoral scene, a rural utopia of his imagination.
Krishna Leela

Sketch for Balaram and Krishna (Unfinished) Acc. No. 3014 | Tempera on cloth

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Jamini Roy adopted the tribhanga or bent axis for the Krishna figures from traditional iconography. But even so, he infuses these paintings with intense lyricism. This unfinished painting of Krishna and Balaram by Roy makes apparent his process as an artist. The under-drawing reveals his exploration of form while the richly saturated palette and application of flat tones demolish the boundaries of naturalism. In keeping with the theme, the imagery is invested with a playful iconicity.
Krishna Leela

Krishna and Gopis Acc. No. 3078 | Wash and tempera on paper

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This painting is an evocative image of a rural community. Jamini Roy has beautifully represented in many of his paintings the sect of the Vaishnavas, the followers of Krishna as either making offerings to the lord or on the way to a temple in a procession or going around villages singing kirtans (devotional songs) on the life of Krishna, and seeking alms. Jamini Roy drew imagery that was authentic using simplification of form inspired by the folk arts of the region that had evolved over the centuries. In this painting the artist has divided the picture space into two horizontal planes with the upper panel showing Krishna in the center surrounded by Gopinis on either side holding fans in their hands and cheering in praise of the lord. The below panel also has five gopinis with their arms raised in obeisance. Even as Krishna is amongst his folks the artist has suggested his elated status by executing the figuration of Gopinis with a slight diminution. Although this painting is from the Krishna- Leela series the artist has used a more upright posture in the representation of the figures of Krishna as well Gopinis or herd women or milkmaids in contrast to the tribhanga style of the traditional iconography. The artist has used tempera colours even as he has adhered to the notions of ideal feminine beauty with the depiction of the doe eyes, demure stances and the voluptuous figure of the Gopini. The artist conveys a sense of an idyll where faith, religion and spirituality create an organic wholeness in life.
Krishna Leela

Gopini Acc. No. 3094 | Pen and ink on paper

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It is interesting to see from the hundreds of sketches and drawings in the NGMA collection, how Roy broke down the figure to the essential form that goes into its making and then synthesised it to suggest a structure. In this particular sketch the figure is of a woman and the artist has adopted the tribhanga or the bent axis from the traditional iconography in its representation. The sketches are evidences that Jamini Roy made meticulous sketches and drawings in great detail before undertaking a painting and that he chose to narrate imagery drawn from the village life, be it the peasants, artisans, followers of religious cults, women, etc. This sketch could probably have been a prototype of the paintings titled 'Gopini' or cowherd girl that the artist has so frequently portrayed as ardent devotees of Lord Krishna.
Krishna Leela

Krishna Lila Acc. No. 3104 | Watercolour on paper

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The Krishna Leela series of painting that Jamini Roy did are of a different character. In this monochromatic painting done with bright red colour the child Krishna is seen atop an elephant as though crawling. It is interesting to see how Roy broke down the figure of both the elephant and the crawling babe to the most basic and essential forms and synthesised them to arrive at the complete structure. The painting has an unfinished border of geometric patterns and fish and encloses the two figures. The stylised trees are suggestive of a pastoral setting.
Krishna Leela

Krishna and Friends Acc. No. 3109 | Watercolour on paper

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The Krishna Leela series of painting that Jamini Roy did are of a different character. Instead of the sturdy, erect figures in his other works, in these paintings the figures have a bent in their axes. With stylised birds, animals and suggestive tree forms, Jamini Roy created an idyllic pastoral scene, a rural utopia of his imagination. In this painting done against the bright red background, the blue lord Krishna is accompanied by two of his friends. All the three figures are wearing garlands around their necks and dhotis to cover their lower bodies. The painting is enclosed in a yellow and black border. The stylised trees in the composition suggest a pastoral setting.
Krishna Leela

Krishna with Gopis Acc. No. 3116 | Watercolour on paper

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This painting is an evocative image of a rural community. Jamini Roy has beautifully represented in many of his paintings the sect of the Vaishnavas, the followers of Krishna as either making offerings to the lord or on the way to a temple in a procession or going around villages singing kirtans (devotional songs) on the life of Krishna, and seeking alms. It is interesting to see how Roy broke down the figure to the essential form that goes into its making and then synthesised it to suggest a structure. Jamini Roy drew imagery that was authentic using simplification of form inspired by the folk arts of the region that had evolved over the centuries. In this painting the artist has divided the picture space into two horizontal planes with the upper panel showing Krishna in the center surrounded by Gopinis on either side holding fans in their hands and cheering in praise of the lord. The below panel also has five gopinis with their arms raised in obeisance. Even as Krishna is amongst his folks the artist has suggested his elated status by executing the figuration of Gopinis with a slight diminution. Although this painting is from the Krishna-Leela series the artist has used a more upright posture in the representation of the figures of Krishna as well Gopinis or herd women or milkmaids in contrast to the tribhanga style of the traditional iconography. Also the paintings is executed mono chromatically even as the artist has adhered to the notions of ideal feminine beauty with the depiction of the doe eyes, demure stances and the voluptuous figure of the Gopini. The artist conveys a sense of an idyll where faith, religion and spirituality create an organic wholeness in life.
Krishna Leela

Govardhana Acc. No. 3123 | Watercolour on paper

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The Krishna Leela series of painting the artist attempted is of a different character. Jamini Roy represented beautifully the followers of Krishna or Vaishnavas either as making offerings to the lord or on the way to a temple in a procession or going around villages singing kirtans (devotional songs) on the life of Krishna, and seeking alms. It is interesting to see how Roy broke down the figure to the essential form that goes into its making and then synthesised it to suggest a structure. Jamini Roy drew imagery that was authentic using simplification of form inspired by the folk arts of the region that had evolved over the centuries. In this particular painting the artist portrays an evocative image of a rural community with the blue lord Krishna garlanded and has held mount Govardhan up as protection to his people and cattle from the rain. The village herdsmen have gathered around him to come under his protection and are holding fly whisks and playing on flutes in obeisance to the lord. The artist has instead of the sturdy, erect figures in his other works has stylised the figures with a bent in their axes or tribhanga from the traditional iconography. With stylised and suggestive tree forms, Jamini Roy created an idyllic pastoral scene, a rural utopia of his imagination.
Krishna Leela

Yashoda and Krishna Acc. No. 3134 | Tempera on cloth

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In the mid-1920s, Jamini Roy explored the potential of calligraphic brush drawings. One of his sources of inspiration was the Kalighat style of painting, as can be observed in this painting. It is wonderful to see how the brush glides fluidly to create the contour lines that define Yashoda and the cow. The contour lines suggest both simplicity and volume in the forms. Compared to the minimalist forms that were to come a little later, this brightly-coloured image refers to a serene scene from village life besides being a scene from Krishna's life.
Krishna Leela

Gopini Acc. No. 3137 | Tempera on Board

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This painting is an evocative image of a rural community. Jamini Roy has beautifully represented in many of his paintings the sect of the Vaishnavas, the followers of Krishna as either making offerings to the lord or on the way to a temple in a procession or going around villages singing kirtans (devotional songs) on the life of Krishna, and seeking alms. It is interesting to see how Roy broke down the figure to the essential form that goes into its making and then synthesised it to suggest a structure. Jamini Roy drew imagery that was authentic using simplification of form inspired by the folk arts of the region that had evolved over the centuries. In this painting the artist has adopted the tribhanga or the bent axis from the traditional iconography in the representation of the figure of Gopini or herd woman or milkmaid. The demure posture and the offerings in her hand is suggestive of the reverential demeanour of the figure. The artist has also adhered to the notions of ideal feminine beauty with the depiction of the doe eyes and the voluptuous figure of the Gopini. There is a strong element of fantasy in the richly saturated palette that Roy has used for the Krishna-Leela series of works. The artist conveys a sense of an idyll where faith, religion and spirituality create an organic wholeness in life.
Krishna Leela

Kalia Mardan Acc. No. 3142 | Tempera on cloth

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Jamini Roy adopted the tribhanga or bent axis for the Krishna figures from traditional iconography. But even so, he infuses these paintings with intense lyricism. In this particular painting the artist portrays an evocative image of the episode of Kalia Mardan where the blue lord Krishna tames the demon snake Kalia. The richly saturated palette and application of flat tones demolish the boundaries of naturalism. In keeping with the theme, the imagery is invested with a playful iconicity.
Krishna Leela

Krishna and Balaram Acc. No. 3144 | Tempera on cloth

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Jamini Roy adopted the tribhanga or bent axis for the Krishna figures from traditional iconography. But even so, he infuses these paintings with intense lyricism. In this particular painting the artist portrays an evocative image of a rural community with the blue lord Krishna and his brother Balaram in symmetric poses. The richly saturated palette and application of flat tones demolish the boundaries of naturalism. With stylised and suggestive tree forms, Jamini Roy creates an idyllic pastoral scene, a rural utopia of his imagination. In keeping with the theme, the imagery is invested with a playful iconicity.
Krishna Leela

Krishna and Gopini Acc. No. 3153 | Tempera on cloth

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The Krishna Leela series of painting the artist attempted is of a different character. Jamini Roy represented beautifully the followers of Krishna or Vaishnavas either as making offerings to the lord or on the way to a temple in a procession or going around villages singing kirtans (devotional songs) on the life of Krishna, and seeking alms. It is interesting to see how Roy broke down the figure to the essential form that goes into its making and then synthesised it to suggest a structure. Jamini Roy drew imagery that was authentic using simplification of form inspired by the folk arts of the region that had evolved over the centuries. In this particular painting the artist portrays an evocative image of a rural community with Krishna, garlanded and playing on his flute in the grove with by women folks around him. Instead of the sturdy, erect figures in his other works has stylised the figures with a bent in their axes or tribhanga from the traditional iconography. With stylised and suggestive tree forms, Jamini Roy created an idyllic pastoral scene, a rural utopia of his imagination. The six gopinis or herds women are ecstatic being in the company of Krishna holding fly whisks and stringed instruments in their hands and attending to the lord.
Krishna Leela

Five Gopinis Acc. No. 3154 | Tempera on cloth

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This painting is an evocative image of a rural community. Jamini Roy represented beautifully the followers of Krishna or Vaishnavas either as making offerings to the lord or on the way to a temple in a procession or going around villages singing kirtans (devotional songs) on the life of Krishna, and seeking alms. It is interesting to see how Roy broke down the figure to the essential form that goes into its making and then synthesised it to suggest a structure. Jamini Roy drew imagery that was authentic using simplification of form inspired by the folk arts of the region that had evolved over the centuries. In this particular painting the artist has depicted five Gopinis (milkmaids or village belles) with offerings in their hands on their way to a temple. Their reverential procession in the backdrop of an idyllic pastoral scene suggested by the stylised trees is the artist's imagination of a rural utopia where faith, religion and spirituality create an organic wholeness in life.
Krishna Leela

Bal Gopal Acc. No. 3161 | Brush and ink on paper

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From 1924 onwards, Jamini Roy experimented with a new idiom as he was looking for ways to simplify form. During this time his images for the most part became monochromatic bearing an austere play of white, soft grey and black. With a masterly control of the brush, he created contours of the form with fluid, calligraphic lines. Roy, during this phase painted seated female forms, mother and child figures, bauls, leaping deer, crawling infant. This painting is titled 'Bal Gopal'.
Krishna Leela

Three Gopalas Acc. No. 3163 | Tempera on cloth

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The Krishna Leela series of painting the artist attempted is of a different character. Jamini Roy represented beautifully the followers of Krishna or Vaishnavas either as making offerings to the lord or on the way to a temple in a procession or going around villages singing kirtans (devotional songs) on the life of Krishna, and seeking alms. It is interesting to see how Roy broke down the figure to the essential form that goes into its making and then synthesised it to suggest a structure. Jamini Roy drew imagery that was authentic using simplification of form inspired by the folk arts of the region that had evolved over the centuries. In this particular painting the artist portrays an evocative image of a rural community. Instead of the sturdy, erect figures as executed in his other works the artist has stylised the figures in this painting with a bent in their axes or tribhanga from the traditional iconography. With stylised and suggestive tree forms, Jamini Roy created an idyllic pastoral scene, a rural utopia of his imagination. The three Gopalas or herdsmen holding their sticks and conch shells depict an ecstatic mood.
Krishna Leela

Offering Acc. No. 3164 | Tempera on cloth

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This painting is an evocative image of a rural community. Jamini Roy has beautifully represented in many of his paintings the sect of the Vaishnavas, the followers of Krishna as either making offerings to the lord or on the way to a temple in a procession or going around villages singing kirtans (devotional songs) on the life of Krishna, and seeking alms. It is interesting to see how Roy broke down the figure to the essential form that goes into its making and then synthesised it to suggest a structure. Jamini Roy drew imagery that was authentic using simplification of form inspired by the folk arts of the region that had evolved over the centuries. The artist has adopted the tribhanga or the bent axis from the traditional iconography in the representation of the figure. The garland and the wind instrument in his left hand is suggestive of the reverential demeanour of the figure. Roy conveys a sense of an idyll where faith, religion and spirituality create an organic wholeness in life.
Life of Christ

Christ Preaching Acc. No. 64 | Tempera on canvas

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The series of images depicting the life of Jesus Christ is perhaps one of the boldest experiments in figuration and narrativisation by Jamini Roy. The language of the Christ paintings is remarkable for their grave, contemplative faces in somewhat hieratic poses with iconicity. In this particular painting the artist has depicted the figure of Christ in a frontal stance with thick black lines along the contours. His right hand is held up in a gesture of preaching while he holds a book in his left. Jamini Roy narrated episodes from Christian mythology in a way that could communicate itself easily to the ordinary Bengali villager.
Life of Christ

Christ with Cross Acc. No. 65 | Tempera on cloth

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The series of images depicting the life of Jesus Christ is perhaps one of the boldest experiments in figuration and narrativisation by Jamini Roy. The language of the Christ paintings is remarkable for their grave, contemplative faces in somewhat hieratic poses with iconicity. In this particular painting the artist has depicted the figure of Christ in a frontal stance with thick black lines along the contours, as he carries the cross over his shoulder. Unlike the other depictions of Christ bearing the cross with hardship, this image has a tranquil, sacred mood. Jamini Roy narrated episodes from Christian mythology in a way that could communicate itself easily to the ordinary Bengali villager.
Life of Christ

Crucifixion Acc. No. 157 | Tempera on canvas

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The series of images depicting the life of Jesus Christ is perhaps one of the boldest experiments in figuration and narrativisation by Jamini Roy. The language of the Christ paintings is remarkable as Roy invests the grave, contemplative faces in their somewhat hieratic poses with iconicity. In this particular painting, the artist has depicted the crucifixion of Christ with a bright colour palette that offsets the solemn theme of the painting. Roy infuses the imagery with a strong sense of geometricity, that reduces forms to their bare essentials in the composition. There is also the suggestion of a sacred presence in the mass of worshipping figures in the background.
Life of Christ

Sketches for Mary and Christ Acc. No. 3029 | Pen and ink on paper

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There is a predominance of drawings and sketches by Jamini Roy in the NGMA Collection. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough especially when seriously studying Jamini Roy's pictorial language. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. The sketches are certainly prototypes for some of his paintings. This particular sketch is a preliminary study for one of the paintings from the Christ series. The form of the figure closely resembles the figures in Assyrian art.
Life of Christ

Christ Acc. No. 3057 | Pen and ink on paper

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The series of images depicting the life of Jesus Christ is perhaps one of the boldest experiments in figuration and narrativisation by Jamini Roy. The language of the Christ paintings is remarkable as Roy invests the grave, contemplative faces in their somewhat hieratic poses with iconicity. This particular sketch is a preparatory study for the more detailed painting, Crucifixion. The artist has here depicted the figure of Christ along with a devotee. The strong sense of geometricity, that reduces the forms to their bare essentials is apparent in the composition. Jamini Roy narrated episodes from Christian mythology in a way that could communicate itself easily to the ordinary Bengali villager.
Life of Christ

Christ Acc. No. 3095 | Pencil, pen & ink on paper

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The series of images depicting the life of Jesus Christ is perhaps one of the boldest experiments in figuration and narrativisation by Jamini Roy. The language of the Christ paintings is remarkable as Roy invests the grave, contemplative faces in their somewhat hieratic poses with iconicity. In this particular drawing, probably preparatory sketches for a more elaborate work, the artist has depicted the figure of Christ in a frontal stance. The strong contour lines simplify the form of the figure to its bare essentials. Jamini Roy narrated episodes from Christian mythology in a way that could communicate itself easily to the ordinary Bengali villager.
Life of Christ

Christ Acc. No. 3112 | Tempera on paper

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The series of images depicting the life of Jesus Christ is perhaps one of the boldest experiments in figuration and narrativisation by Jamini Roy. The language of the Christ paintings is remarkable for their grave, contemplative faces in somewhat hieratic poses with iconicity. In this particular painting, the artist has depicted the figure of Christ in a frontal stance with thick black lines along the contours. The sense of sacrality is heightened by the way his figure is framed by architectural elements and ornamentation unique to the folk arts of the region. Jamini Roy narrated episodes from Christian mythology in a way that could communicate itself easily to the ordinary Bengali villager.
Life of Christ

Christ Acc. No. 3127 | Tempera on paper

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The series of images depicting the life of Jesus Christ is perhaps one of the boldest experiments in figuration and narrativisation by Jamini Roy. The language of the Christ paintings is remarkable for their grave, contemplative faces in somewhat hieratic poses with iconicity. In this particular painting the artist has depicted figure of Christ with a frontal gaze with thick black lines contouring the facial features. The top margin of the painting has a geometric motif in white colour. Jamini Roy narrated episodes from Christian mythology in a way that could communicate itself easily to the ordinary Bengali villager.
Life of Christ

Mary and Christ Acc. No. 3139 | Tempera on cloth

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The series of images depicting the life of Jesus Christ is one of the most inventive styles in Jamini Roy's oeuvre. He brings to these divine figures both a sense of sacredness as well as a sense of intimacy. Here, the seated figure of Mary, the mother, with infant Christ on her lap is being hailed by worshippers and angels. Mary is framed by impressive architectural elements and the mood evoked is both celebratory and sacred. The figuration of the angels has the spontaneity of child art.
Life of Christ

Christ and a Boy Acc. No. 3140 | Tempera on cloth

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The series of images depicting the life of Jesus Christ is perhaps one of the boldest experiments in figuration and narrativisation by Jamini Roy. The language of the Christ paintings is remarkable for their grave, contemplative faces in somewhat hieratic poses with iconicity. In this particular painting the figure of Christ and a young boy stand solemnly with frontal gaze and the hands of the child folded together. Jamini Roy narrated episodes from Christian mythology in a way that could communicate itself easily to the ordinary Bengali villager.
Life of Christ

Mary and Child with Kings Acc. No. 3141 | Oil on Canvas

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The series of images depicting the life of Jesus Christ is one of the most inventive styles in Jamini Roy's oeuvre. He brings to these divine figures both a sense of sacredness as well as a sense of intimacy. Here, the seated figure of Mary, the mother, with infant Christ on her lap is being hailed by worshiping figures who are kneeling and making offerings . Mary is framed by impressive architectural elements and the mood evoked is both celebratory and sacred.
Life of Christ

Christ with Cross Acc. No. 3159 | Tempera on mat

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In the 1940s, Roy painted one of his most powerful series of images revolving around the life of Jesus Christ. Although, he may have painted occasional images of Christ in the previous decade, he developed the visual idea more fully in the 1940s. What was most thought-provoking about these paintings was Roy's skill in adapting stories from an alien culture and yet giving them a familiar appearance, as if they were people from our own villages. The language of the Christ painting is remarkable for other reasons as well. Roy invests the grave, contemplative faces in their somewhat hieratic poses with iconicity.
Mother & Child

Mother and Child Acc. No. 71 | Oil on Canvas

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Probably, it was 1919 or 1920 that Jamini Roy moved away gradually from European naturalism in search of his own idiom. The first suite of paintings that emerged from these early experiments focused primarily on Santal women. In these paintings, he started by discarding the nonessential elements in the landscape keeping only a branch here or a bit of water there. The colour palette was confined to a limited range and was applied as a flat tone. The Mother and Child image is one of the favourite themes of Roy and here he evokes the mother's protective tenderness towards her young son with great sensitivity. The clear-cut angular lines with which the figure is rendered indicates the increased stylisation that Roy was to adopt in the coming years. This painting won the top prize in the 1935 All Indian Academy of Fine Arts exhibition.
Mother & Child

Mother and Child Acc. No. 2630 | Watercolour on paper

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From 1924 onwards, Jamini Roy experimented with a new idiom as he was looking for ways to simplify form. During this time his images for the most part became monochromatic bearing an austere play of white, soft grey and black. With a masterly control of the brush, he created contours of the form with fluid, calligraphic lines. Roy, during this phase painted seated female forms, mother and child figures, bauls, leaping deer, crawling infant. This painting is titled 'Mother and Child'.
Mother & Child

Mother and Child Acc. No. 3040 | Pen and ink on paper

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There are infinite variations of the mother and child figures in the sketches, drawings and paintings of Jamini Roy. The sketches are certainly prototypes for some of his paintings. The sketches are also evidences of the artist's efforts and attempts through his long career to arrive at his unique style of painting using simple, pure forms. This quick sketch of a mother and child portrays a woman carrying her infant child.
Mother & Child

Mother and Child Acc. No. 3061 | Watercolour on paper

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Probably, it was 1919 or 1920 that Jamini Roy moved away gradually from European naturalism in search of his own idiom. The Mother and Child image is one of the favourite themes of Roy and here he evokes the mother's protective tenderness towards her child with great sensitivity. There are infinite variations of the mother and child figures. It is difficult to gauge at this distance of time what thoughts led him to experiment with this theme. One wonders whether the subject had an emotional charge for him. Were his experiments with the theme an outcome of Bengal's obsession with mother worship? Or was it just an interesting juxtaposition of forms which helped the possibility of endless explorations? This monochromatic drawing of a mother and child is executed using red colour with probably a door in the backdrop.
Mother & Child

Mother and Child Acc. No. 3064 | Pencil on paper

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There are the infinite variations of the mother and child figures in the sketches, drawings and paintings of Jamini Roy. The sketches are certainly prototypes for some of his paintings. The sketches are also evidences of the artist's efforts and attempts through his long career to arrive at his unique style of painting using simple, pure forms. This monochromatic sketch of a Mother and child portrays a woman carrying her infant child on her back.
Mother & Child

Seated Mother and Child Acc. No. 3101 | Pen and ink on paper

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It is interesting to see from the hundreds of sketches and drawings in the NGMA collection, how Roy broke down the figure to the essential form that goes into its making and then synthesised it to suggest a structure. Jamini Roy made meticulous sketches and drawings in great detail before undertaking a painting. The Mother and Child image is one of the favourite themes of Roy and here he evokes the mother's protective tenderness towards her child with great sensitivity. In this profile sketch done with pen and ink, the child is seated on the lap of his mother with a suggestive tree in the background.
Mother & Child

Mother and Child Acc. No. 3103 | Tempera on paper

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Probably, it was 1919 or 1920 that Jamini Roy moved away gradually from European naturalism in search of his own idiom. The Mother and Child image is one of the favourite themes of Roy and here he evokes the mother's protective tenderness towards her child with great sensitivity.There are infinite variations of the mother and child figures. It is difficult to gauge at this distance of time what thoughts led him to experiment with this theme. One wonders whether the subject had an emotional charge for him. Were his experiments with the theme an outcome of Bengal's obsession with mother worship? Or was it just an interesting juxtaposition of forms which helped the possibility of endless explorations? This monochromatic drawing of a mother and child is executed using red colour and is enclosed in a rectangular frame.
Mother & Child

Mother and Child Acc. No. 3110 | Watercolour on paper

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Probably, it was 1919 or 1920 that Jamini Roy moved away gradually from European naturalism in search of his own idiom. The Mother and Child image is one of the favourite themes of Roy and here he evokes the mother's protective tenderness towards her child with great sensitivity. There are infinite variations of the mother and child figures. It is difficult to gauge at this distance of time what thoughts led him to experiment with this theme. One wonders whether the subject had an emotional charge for him. Were his experiments with the theme an outcome of Bengal's obsession with mother worship? Or was it just an interesting juxtaposition of forms which helped the possibility of endless explorations? This monochromatic drawing of a mother and child is highly stylised and executed using red colour with probably a hut in the backdrop.
Mother & Child

Mother and Child Acc. No. 3113 | Watercolour on paper

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It was probably around 1919 or 1920 that Jamini Roy moved away gradually from European naturalism in search of his own idiom. The Mother and Child image emerged as one of the favourite themes of Roy and here he evokes the mother's protective tenderness towards her child with great sensitivity. There are infinite variations of the mother and child figures. It is difficult to gauge at this distance of time what thoughts led him to experiment with this theme. One wonders whether the subject had an emotional charge for him. Were his experiments with the theme an outcome of Bengal's obsession with mother worship? Or was it just an interesting juxtaposition of forms which helped the possibility of endless explorations? This painting done against a red background shows the mother seated and holding the child in her arms with her drape encompassing her figure . The mother has the almond shaped eyes with a stimulating frontal gaze and the innocence of the figures is strongly suggestive in their humble demeanour. The reverse of the painting has sketches of two head studies done in pencil.
Mother & Child

Materna Acc. No. 3114 | Watercolour on paper

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From 1924 onwards, Jamini Roy experimented with a new idiom as he was looking for ways to simplify form. During this time his images for the most part became monochromatic bearing an austere play of white, soft grey and black. With a masterly control of the brush, he created contours of the form with fluid, calligraphic lines. Roy, during this phase painted seated female forms, mother and child figures, bauls, leaping deer, crawling infant. This painting is titled 'Materna'.
Mother & Child

Mother and Child Acc. No. 3122 | Watercolour on paper

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It was probably around 1919 or 1920 that Jamini Roy moved away gradually from European naturalism in search of his own idiom. The Mother and Child image emerged as one of the favourite themes of Roy and here he evokes the mother's protective tenderness towards her child with great sensitivity. There are infinite variations of the mother and child figures. It is difficult to gauge at this distance of time what thoughts led him to experiment with this theme. One wonders whether the subject had an emotional charge for him. Were his experiments with the theme an outcome of Bengal's obsession with mother worship? Or was it just an interesting juxtaposition of forms which helped the possibility of endless explorations? This painting done against a dull background shows the mother seated and holding the child in her arms with her drape beautifully encompassing her figure in entirety. Both the mother and child have the almond shaped eyes with a stimulating frontal gaze and the innocence of the figures is strongly suggestive in their humble demeanour. The artist has astutely introduced the colour red in the hem of the garment and also as the border encompassing the painting.
Mother & Child

Mother and Child Acc. No. 3125 | Watercolour on paper

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It was probably around 1919 or 1920 that Jamini Roy moved away gradually from European naturalism in search of his own idiom. The Mother and Child image emerged as one of the favourite themes of Roy and here he evokes the mother's protective tenderness towards her child with great sensitivity.There are infinite variations of the mother and child figures. It is difficult to gauge at this distance of time what thoughts led him to experiment with this theme. One wonders whether the subject had an emotional charge for him. Were his experiments with the theme an outcome of Bengal's obsession with mother worship? Or was it just an interesting juxtaposition of forms which helped the possibility of endless explorations? This painting done against a dull yellow background shows the mother holding the child in her arms and with her drape beautifully encompassing their figures in entirety. Both the mother and child have the almond shaped eyes with a stimulating frontal gaze and the innocence of the figures is strongly suggestive in their humble demeanour. The artist has astutely introduced the colour red in the circular decorative motif at the bottom right corner and in the hem of the garment.The picture space is also livened up with the geometric and wall decoration like motif along the upper margin of the painting.
Mother & Child

Mother and Child Acc. No. 3156 | Tempera on Board

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It was probably around 1919 or 1920 that Jamini Roy moved away gradually from European naturalism in search of his own idiom. The Mother and Child image emerged as one of the favourite themes of Roy and here he evokes the mother's protective tenderness towards her child with great sensitivity. There are infinite variations of the mother and child figures. It is difficult to gauge at this distance of time what thoughts led him to experiment with this theme. One wonders whether the subject had an emotional charge for him. Were his experiments with the theme an outcome of Bengal's obsession with mother worship? Or was it just an interesting juxtaposition of forms which helped the possibility of endless explorations? This painting shows the mother holding the child in her arms and with her drape beautifully encompassing their figures in entirety. Both the mother and child have the almond shaped eyes with a stimulating gaze.
Mother & Child

Mother and Child (White Border) Acc. No. 3158 | Tempera on cloth

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It was probably around 1919 or 1920 that Jamini Roy moved away gradually from European naturalism in search of his own idiom. The Mother and Child image emerged as one of the favourite themes of Roy and here he evokes the mother's protective tenderness towards her child with great sensitivity.There are infinite variations of the mother and child figures. It is difficult to gauge at this distance of time what thoughts led him to experiment with this theme. One wonders whether the subject had an emotional charge for him. Were his experiments with the theme an outcome of Bengal's obsession with mother worship? Or was it just an interesting juxtaposition of forms which helped the possibility of endless explorations? This painting done against a yellow background shows the mother holding the child in her arms and with her drape beautifully encompassing their figures in entirety. Both the mother and child have the almond shaped eyes with a stimulating gaze and the innocence of the figures is strongly suggestive in their humble demeanour. The artist has astutely introduced the colour red in the circular decorative motif at the top right corner and in the hem of the garment.
Mother & Child

Mother and Child (White Border) Acc. No. 3246 | Tempera on canvas

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It was probably around 1919 or 1920 that Jamini Roy moved away gradually from European naturalism in search of his own idiom. The Mother and Child image emerged as one of the favourite themes of Roy and here he evokes the mother's protective tenderness towards her child with great sensitivity.There are infinite variations of the mother and child figures. It is difficult to gauge at this distance of time what thoughts led him to experiment with this theme. One wonders whether the subject had an emotional charge for him. Were his experiments with the theme an outcome of Bengal's obsession with mother worship? Or was it just an interesting juxtaposition of forms which helped the possibility of endless explorations? This painting shows the mother holding the child in her arms. That they probably belonged to the Vaishnavite sect is indicated by the religious markings on the forehead of the child. The artist has adopted the tribhanga or the bent axis from the traditional iconography in the representation of the figure of the mother. The innocence of the figures is suggestive in their humble demeanour and the stimulating almond eyes of both the mother and child. There is also a hint of landscape in the form of stylised plants and floral motifs that add to the charm of the painting.
Portraits & Landscapes

Lecture Hall ( Stella Kramrisch) Acc. No. 3013 | Watercolor on Paper

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Jamini Roy's mastery over the techniques of the great European painters led him to paint local landscapes and animals using tempera and wash technique. Interestingly, he continued to show these European style landscapes and animals drawing along with his newly-evolved folk style. In this particular painting, he has depicted Stella Kramrisch giving lecture to the audience in a hall, rendered with dabs and dashes of watercolour adding grace and vigour to the composition.
Portraits & Landscapes

Head of a Man Acc. No. 3037 | Pen and ink on paper

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Jamini Roy has painted simple village scenes and familiar village characters like the blacksmith, a group of Santal dancers, a baul singer, a cat with a lobster. He must have felt a sense of elation at finding his way back home because one observes an expression of joyous exuberance as he had found a way to communicate with the people. This particular work is a detailed sketch of man whose painting the artist might have made or could have been a study of the head. Jamini Roy made meticulous sketches and drawings in great detail before undertaking a painting.
Portraits & Landscapes

Head Study Acc. No. 3038 | Watercolor on Paper

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There is a strong element of fantasy in the richly saturated palette that Jamini Roy creates from a limited range of vegetable, mineral and earth colours. The bright colours and flat forms demolish the boundaries of naturalism and lend a playful mood to the depiction. This particular sketch is a head study executed by the artist in an idiom inspired by the folk arts of the Bengal region.
Portraits & Landscapes

Landscape Acc. No. 3051 | Ink & watercolour on paper

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Jamini Roy's mastery over the techniques of the great European painters led him to paint local landscapes using tempera. He also painted some portraits in this fashion. Interestingly, he continued to show these European style landscapes and portraits along with his newly-evolved folk style. In this particular painting, the artist has depicted a landscape in dabs and dashes of colour using the wash technique.
Portraits & Landscapes

Sketches for Landscape Acc. No. 3065 | Pen and ink on paper

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It is interesting to see from the hundreds of sketches and drawings in the NGMA collection, how Roy broke down the figure to the essential form that goes into its making and then synthesised it to suggest a structure. Jamini Roy made meticulous sketches and drawings in great detail before undertaking a painting. As the title suggests, the above sketches were preliminary studies for a landscape painting.
Portraits & Landscapes

Sketches for Landscape Acc. No. 3066 | Pen and ink on paper

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It is interesting to see from the hundreds of sketches and drawings in the NGMA collection, how Roy broke down the figure to the essential form that goes into its making and then synthesised it to suggest a structure. Jamini Roy made meticulous sketches and drawings in great detail before undertaking a painting. These four landscapes could have been used for detailed paintings.
Portraits & Landscapes

Portrait of a Lady Acc. No. 3068 | Watercolour on paper

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Jamini Roy's mastery over the techniques of the great European painters led him to paint local landscapes using tempera. He also painted some portraits in this fashion. Interestingly, he continued to show these European style landscapes and portraits along with his newly-evolved folk style. In this particular painting, the artist has rendered the portrait of a woman using the wash technique.
Portraits & Landscapes

Landscape Acc. No. 3071 | Tempera on paper

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Jamini Roy's mastery over the techniques of the great European painters led him to paint local landscapes using tempera. He also painted some portraits in this fashion. Interestingly, he continued to show these European style landscapes and portraits along with his newly-evolved folk style. In this particular painting, the artist has depicted a landscape in dabs and dashes of colour in an impressionistic manner.
Portraits & Landscapes

Landscape Acc. No. 3082

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It is interesting to see from the hundreds of sketches and drawings in the NGMA collection, how Roy broke down the figure to the essential form that goes into its making and then synthesised it to suggest a structure. Jamini Roy made meticulous sketches and drawings in great detail before undertaking a painting. This sketch is that of a landscape.
Portraits & Landscapes

Portrait Acc. No. 3106 | Ink & wash on paper

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Jamini Roy's mastery over the techniques of the great European painters led him to paint local landscapes using tempera. He also painted some portraits in this fashion. Interestingly, he continued to show these European style landscapes and portraits along with his newly-evolved folk style. In this particular painting, the artist has rendered the portrait of a man in the wash technique by using tonal variations of black ink.
Portraits & Landscapes

Man Smoking Acc. No. 3128 | Oil on cardboard

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There is a strong element of fantasy in the richly saturated palette that Jamini Roy creates from a limited range of vegetable, mineral and earth colours. The bright colours and flat forms demolish the boundaries of naturalism and lend a playful mood to the depiction. This particular sketch is a portrait of a man smoking cigarette executed with the masterly control brush strokes in oil colours delineating the contours and highlighting his facial features.
Portraits & Landscapes

Portrait of a Lady Acc. No. 3131 | Wash drawing on paper

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Jamini Roy's mastery over the techniques of the great European painters led him to paint local landscapes using tempera. He also painted some portraits in this fashion. Interestingly, he continued to show these European style landscapes and portraits along with his newly-evolved folk style. In this particular painting, the artist has rendered the portrait of a woman in the wash technique, using the tonal variations of black ink.
Portraits & Landscapes

Doll Acc. No. 3132 | Tempera on cardboard

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This painting of a doll is one of the recurring themes that Jamini Roy explored throughout his career. There is a strong element of fantasy in the richly saturated palette that Roy creates from a limited range of vegetable, mineral and earth colours. The bright colours and flat forms demolish the boundaries of naturalism and lend a playful mood to the depiction.
Portraits & Landscapes

Landscape (3 Boats) Acc. No. 3133 | Oil on cardboard

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Jamini Roy's mastery over the techniques of the great European painters led him to paint local landscapes using tempera. He also painted some portraits in this fashion. Interestingly, he continued to show these European style landscapes and portraits along with his newly-evolved folk style. In this particular painting, the artist has depicted a river bank with boats in dabs and dashes of colour in an impressionistic manner.
Portraits & Landscapes

Blacksmith-I (Double Picture Made) Acc. No. 3138 | Oil on plyboard

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From the end 1920s, began to use traditional pigments from vegetable and mineral sources and the imagery was drawn from village life. He invested the peasants, artisans, followers of religious cults, village women and adivasis with immense dignity. He represented in his paintings what they held sacred. Blacksmith is from the same genre of his paintings.
Portraits & Landscapes

Wood Carving Acc. No. 3166 | Wood
Portraits & Landscapes

Wood Carving Acc. No. 3167 | Wood
Santhals

Santhal Girl Acc. No. 80 | Oil on Canvas

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Jamini Roy's mastery over the techniques of the great European painters led him to paint local landscapes and life of local peasants using tempera and wash techniques. Interestingly, he continued to show these European style landscapes and animals drawing along with his newly-evolved folk style. In this particular painting, he has depicted a Santhal woman looking for her shadow in the water, rendered with the shades of oil colours in tonal variation delineating the forms and suggesting the demeanour of the subject.
Santhals

Santhal Dance Acc. No. 158 | Tempera on paper
Santhals

Santhal Acc. No. 3096 | Pencil on paper

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The large number of sketches and drawings in the NGMA collection give evidence of the distinctive way in which Jamini Roy structured his figures. Each figure is created by assembling a set of body parts which are broken down into simple forms only to be reclaimed as a whole. This sketch bears a strong resemblance to the painting titled 'Blue Boy'in the collection of NGMA. Jamini Roy chose to narrate imagery drawn from the village life, be it the peasants, artisans, followers of religious cults, women, etc. The artist must have felt a sense of elation at finding his way back home because one observes an expression of joyous exuberance as he had found a way to communicate with the people.
Santhals

Santhal Girl Acc. No. 3136 | Tempera on plyboard

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The large number of sketches and drawings in the NGMA collection give evidence of the distinctive way in which Jamini Roy structured his figures. Each figure is created by assembling a set of body parts which are broken down into simple forms only to be reclaimed as a whole. This sketch bears a strong resemblance to the painting titled 'Blue Boy'in the collection of NGMA. Jamini Roy chose to narrate imagery drawn from the village life, be it the peasants, artisans, followers of religious cults, women, etc. The artist must have felt a sense of elation at finding his way back home because one observes an expression of joyous exuberance as he had found a way to communicate with the people.
Santhals

Santhal Girl (Standing) Acc. No. 3151 | Tempera on cardboard

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From the end 1920s, Jamini Roy rejected the European oil medium and began to use the traditional pigments from vegetable and mineral sources. The imagery was often drawn from village life. Jamini Roy invested in the portrayal of peasants, artisans, followers of religious cults, village women and adivasis with immense dignity. He represented in his paintings what they held sacred with references from folk tales and narratives that permeated the rural consciousness. In this particular painting titled 'Santal Girl' done against a murky yellow background the figure has a slight hint of volume in the figuration which is enhanced by the bright yellow drape having a wavy pattern in red. The artist has also adhered to the notions of ideal feminine beauty in the depiction of the doe eyes of the figures.The figure is painted with thick, black contour lines which suggests a sculptural quality.
Village Life & Women

Bengali Woman Acc. No. 75 | Tempera on paper

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From the end 1920s, Jamini Roy rejected the European oil medium and began to use the traditional pigments from vegetable and mineral sources. The imagery was often drawn from village life. Jamini Roy invested in the portrayal of peasants, artisans, followers of religious cults, village women and adivasis with immense dignity. He represented in his paintings what they held sacred with references from folk tales and narratives that permeated the rural consciousness. In this particular painting titled 'Bengali Woman' done against a bright yellow background the figure has a slight hint of volume in her figuration. The artist has also adhered to the notions of ideal feminine beauty in the depiction of the doe eyes of the figures.
Village Life & Women

Gopini Acc. No. 76 | Tempera on cloth

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This painting is an evocative image of a rural community. Jamini Roy has beautifully represented in many of his paintings the sect of the Vaishnavas, the followers of Krishna as either making offerings to the lord or on the way to a temple in a procession or going around villages singing kirtans (devotional songs) on the life of Krishna, and seeking alms. It is interesting to see how Roy broke down the figure to the essential form that goes into its making and then synthesised it to suggest a structure. Jamini Roy drew imagery that was authentic using simplification of form inspired by the folk arts of the region that had evolved over the centuries. In this painting the artist has adopted the tribhanga or the bent axis from the traditional iconography in the representation of the figure of Gopini or herd woman or milkmaid. The artist has adhered to the notions of ideal feminine beauty with the depiction of the doe eyes, demure stances and the voluptuous figure of the Gopini with a heightened pliancy in her figuration. There is a strong element of fantasy in the richly saturated palette that Roy has used particularly for the Krishna-Leela series of works. The artist conveys a sense of an idyll where faith, religion and spirituality create an organic wholeness in life.
Village Life & Women

Baul Acc. No. 77 | Tempera on paper

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From 1924 onwards, Jamini Roy experimented with a new idiom as he was looking for ways to simplify form. During this time his images for the most part became monochromatic bearing an austere play of white, soft grey and black. With a masterly control of the brush, he created contours of the form with fluid, calligraphic lines. Roy, during this phase painted seated female forms, mother and child figures, bauls, leaping deer, crawling infant. This painting is of a Baul who are mystic minstrels on the move.
Village Life & Women

Woman Seated Acc. No. 77 | Tempera on cloth

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From 1924 onwards, Jamini Roy experimented with a new idiom as he was looking for ways to simplify form. During this time his images for the most part became monochromatic bearing an austere play of white, soft grey and black. With a masterly control of the brush, he created contours of the form with fluid, calligraphic lines. Roy, during this phase painted seated female forms, mother and child figures, bauls, leaping deer, crawling infant. This painting is titled 'Woman Seated'. It is noteworthy that the artist has suggested volume to the seated figure with the supple contour line. Although a fleeting reference to Kalighat pats is made at a first glance, a careful look reveals that the idiom was entirely his own. His forms had a gravitas that was lacking in the Kalighat paintings. There is also a circular motif of a floral design at the top right corner. These alpona motifs or wall and floor motifs were incorporated frequently by Jamni Roy in his paintings.
Village Life & Women

Untitled Acc. No. 2754 | Tempera on cloth

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Jamini Roy drew imagery using a simplification of form inspired by the folk arts of the Bengal region that had evolved over the centuries. In this painting the artist has adopted the tribhanga or the bent axis pose from traditional iconography in the representation of the figure of the Gopini or milkmaid. The artist has adhered to the notions of ideal feminine beauty with the depiction of the doe eyes, demure stances and the voluptuous figure of the Gopini with a heightened pliancy in her figuration. There is a strong element of fantasy in the richly saturated palette that Roy has used particularly for the Krishna-Leela series of works. In keeping with the theme, the imagery is invested with a playful iconicity.
Village Life & Women

Seated Woman Acc. No. 3012 | Crayon & water colour on paper

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From the end 1920s, Jamini Roy rejected the European oil medium and began to use the traditional pigments from vegetable and mineral sources. The imagery was often drawn from village life. Jamini Roy invested in the portrayal of peasants, artisans, followers of religious cults, village women and adivasis with immense dignity. He represented in his paintings what they held sacred with references from folk tales and narratives that permeated the rural consciousness. In this particular painting titled 'Seated Woman' the seated figure of a woman is painted with thick, black contour lines with the application of blue colour of the drape done flatly.
Village Life & Women

Seated Woman Acc. No. 3018 | Pencil on paper

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The large number of sketches and drawings in the NGMA collection give evidence of the distinctive way in which Jamini Roy structured his figures. This particular sketch of a seated woman could have served as a prototype for one of his paintings executed in the calligraphic style.
Village Life & Women

Seated Woman Acc. No. 3019 | Pencil on paper

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The large number of sketches and drawings in the NGMA collection give evidence of the distinctive way in which Jamini Roy structured his figures. Each figure is created by assembling a set of body body parts which are broken down into simple forms only to be reclaimed as a whole. This sketch titled 'Seated Woman' in the collection of NGMA strongly points that Jamini Roy chose to narrate imagery drawn from the village life, be it the peasants, artisans, followers of religious cults, women, etc. The artist must have felt a sense of elation at finding his way back home because one observes an expression of joyous exuberance as he had found a way to communicate with the people.
Village Life & Women

Woman Churning Acc. No. 3020 | Pen and ink on paper

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The large number of sketches and drawings in the NGMA collection give evidence of the distinctive way in which Jamini Roy structured his figures. Each figure is created by assembling a set of body body parts which are broken down into simple forms only to be reclaimed as a whole. This sketch titled 'Woman Churning' in the collection of NGMA strongly points that Jamini Roy chose to narrate imagery drawn from the village life, be it the peasants, artisans, followers of religious cults, women, etc. The woman is standing against the backdrop of a hut and is churning the pot of curd. The artist must have felt a sense of elation at finding his way back home because one observes an expression of joyous exuberance as he had found a way to communicate with the people.
Village Life & Women

Woman Acc. No. 3022 | Ink & brush on paper

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The sketches and drawings of Jamini Roy point to the artist's diverse experiment with form. The sketches are certainly prototypes for some of his paintings. The sketches are also evidences of the artist's efforts and attempts through his long career to arrive at his unique style of painting using simple, pure forms. This brush and ink sketch portrays a woman with her hands together.
Village Life & Women

Seated Woman Acc. No. 3032 | Pen and ink on paper

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It is interesting to see from the hundreds of sketches and drawings in the NGMA collection, how Roy broke down the figure to the essential form that goes into its making and then synthesised it to suggest a structure. From the end 1920s, Jamini Roy rejected the European oil medium and began to use traditional pigments from vegetable and mineral sources. And the imagery was drawn from village life. He invested in the peasants, artisans, followers of religious cults, village women and adivasis with immense dignity and represented in his paintings what they held sacred. He also painted from folk tales and narratives that permeated the rural consciousness. This sketch portrays a seated woman figure.
Village Life & Women

Prizes with a Printed Strip Acc. No. 3054 | Pen and ink on paper

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The sketches and drawings of Jamini Roy point to the artist’s imagination that grapples with manifest details of a visual idea for a painting. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. The imagery was drawn from village life. He painted from folk tales and narratives that permeated the rural consciousness. in this particular sketch the space is divided into four parts. The topmost part shows the feast for a large group of people. The middle panel shows the Egyptian tale. The side panel shows a figure and the bottom panel shows the procession of a king. Rendered with the fluid, fine lines of pen and ink in an idiom inspired by the folk art of the Bengal region.The space division of this pastoral scene is inspired by the concept of space division in the vertical scroll paintings of Bengal and the narrative modes used in the temple friezes of the region.
Village Life & Women

Sringar Acc. No. 3056 | Pen and ink on paper

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The sketches and drawings of Jamini Roy point to the artist's diverse experiment with form. The sketches are certainly prototypes for some of his paintings. The sketches are also evidences of the artist's efforts and attempts through his long career to arrive at his unique style of painting using simple, pure forms. This particular ink sketch shows a woman seated and is attending to her toilet.
Village Life & Women

Woman (Two Pieces) Acc. No. 3070 | Brush and ink on paper

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There is a predominance of drawings and sketches by Jamini Roy in the NGMA Collection. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough especially when seriously studying Jamini Roy's pictorial language. It is from the sketches and drawings that we see the artist’s diverse experiments with form. The sketches are certainly prototypes for some of his paintings.
Village Life & Women

Deity with Bow Acc. No. 3077 | Watercolour on paper

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From the end 1920s, Jamini Roy had rejected the European oil medium and began to use traditional pigments from vegetable and mineral sources. The imagery too was drawn from village life. He painted from folk tales and narratives that permeated the rural consciousness. This monochromatic sketch of a deity with a bow illustrates these visual elements and influences.
Village Life & Women

Woman Acc. No. 3088 | Pencil on paper

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The large number of sketches and drawings in the NGMA collection give evidence of the distinctive way in which Jamini Roy structured his figures. Each figure is created by assembling a set of body parts which are broken down into simple forms only to be reclaimed as a whole. This sketch titled 'Woman' in the collection of NGMA strongly points that Jamini Roy chose to narrate imagery drawn from the village life, be it the peasants, artisans, followers of religious cults, women, etc. The artist must have felt a sense of elation at finding his way back home because one observes an expression of joyous exuberance as he had found a way to communicate with the people.
Village Life & Women

Female Figure Acc. No. 3091 | Pencil on paper

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The large number of sketches and drawings in the NGMA collection give evidence of the distinctive way in which Jamini Roy structured his figures. Each figure is created by assembling a set of body parts which are broken down into simple forms only to be reclaimed as a whole. This sketch titled 'Female Figure' in the collection of NGMA strongly points that Jamini Roy chose to narrate imagery drawn from the village life, be it the peasants, artisans, followers of religious cults, women, etc. The artist must have felt a sense of elation at finding his way back home because one observes an expression of joyous exuberance as he had found a way to communicate with the people.
Village Life & Women

Rural Scene Acc. No. 3105 | Watercolour on paper

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Jamini Roy's mastery over the techniques of the great European painters led him to paint local landscapes and animals using tempera and wash technique. Interestingly, he continued to show these European style landscapes and animals drawing along with his newly-evolved folk style. In this particular painting, he has rendered a rural landscape with dabs and dashes of watercolor adding grace and vigour to the composition.
Village Life & Women

Vaishanavas Acc. No. 3107 | Watercolour on paper

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In the first few years of the 1920s, Jamini Roy did several paintings in what he called "flat technique." He had said that like Chinese landscapes, he discarded nonessential details in the backgrounds. The subjects were mostly Santal women and he brought to the figuration a certain sensuousness. In this painting the style is similar to the "flat technique" but the subject is a Vaishnava couple. There is also a pencil sketch of a seated woman on the reverse of the painting with an inscription 'Village Woman, 1923' at the bottom right corner.
Village Life & Women

Jamini Roy (1887-1972) Prayer Acc. No. 3119 | Watercolor on Paper

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From 1924 onwards, Jamini Roy experimented with a new idiom. It was clear that he was looking for ways to simplify form. His images for the most part became monochromatic - an austere play of white, soft grey and black. With a masterly control of the brush, he created contours of the form with fluid, calligraphic lines. Roy, during this phase painted seated female forms, mother and child figures, bauls, leaping deer and crawling infants. In this particular painting, he has depicted a woman with her hands folded, in just a few strokes of the brush.
Village Life & Women

Sringar Acc. No. 3120 | Watercolour on paper

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From 1924 onwards, Jamini Roy experimented with a new idiom as he was looking for ways to simplify form. During this time his images for the most part became either monochromatic bearing an austere play of white, soft grey and black or the palette was limited to the use of one or two colours. With a masterly control of the brush, he created contours of the form with fluid, calligraphic lines. Roy, during this phase painted seated female forms, mother and child figures, bauls, leaping deer, crawling infant. This painting can be classified as belonging to the calligraphic style of painting and is titled 'Sringar'.
Village Life & Women

Woman Acc. No. 3120 | Watercolour on paper

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From 1924 onwards, Jamini Roy experimented with a new idiom as he was looking for ways to simplify form. During this time his images for the most part became either monochromatic bearing an austere play of white, soft grey and black or the palette was limited to the use of one or two colours. With a masterly control of the brush, he created contours of the form with fluid, calligraphic lines. Roy, during this phase painted seated female forms, mother and child figures, bauls, leaping deer, crawling infant. This painting can be classified as belonging to the calligraphic style of painting and is titled 'Woman'.
Village Life & Women

Woman Acc. No. 3124 | Watercolour on paper

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From 1924 onwards, Jamini Roy experimented with a new idiom as he was looking for ways to simplify form. During this time his images for the most part became either monochromatic bearing an austere play of white, soft grey and black or the palette was limited to the use of one or two colours. With a masterly control of the brush, he created contours of the form with fluid, calligraphic lines. Roy, during this phase painted seated female forms, mother and child figures, bauls, leaping deer, crawling infant. This painting can be classified as belonging to the calligraphic style of painting and is titled 'Woman'.
Village Life & Women

Pujarini Acc. No. 3162 | Tempera on cloth

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From 1924 onwards, Jamini Roy experimented with a new idiom as he was looking for ways to simplify form. During this time his images for the most part became monochromatic bearing an austere play of white, soft grey and black. With a masterly control of the brush, he created contours of the form with fluid, calligraphic lines. Roy, during this phase painted seated female forms, mother and child figures, bauls, leaping deer, crawling infant. This painting is titled 'Pujarini'.
Village Life & Women

Sketch-III Acc. No. 12582 | Watercolour and pen on paper

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From the end 1920s, Jamini Roy rejected the European oil medium and began to use the traditional pigments from vegetable and mineral sources. The imagery was often drawn from village life. Jamini Roy invested in the portrayal of peasants, artisans, followers of religious cults, village women and adivasis with immense dignity. He represented in his paintings what they held sacred with references from folk tales and narratives that permeated the rural consciousness. In this particular sketch the artist has portrayed three men wielding swords and shields in their hands.
Village Life & Women

Sketch-IV Acc. No. 12583 | Pen and ink on paper

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This sketch is an evocative image of a rural community. Divided into two panels the lower one depicts a group of Vaishnavas who go around villages singing kirtans (devotional songs) on the life of Krishna, and seeking alms. There is a nuance of ecstasy in the depiction of figure holding the stringed instrument and the accompanying singers. Roy conveys a sense of an idyll where faith, music and dance combine to create an organic wholeness in life. The upper panel portrays four figures in profile and also holding a dance pose. It is also interesting to see how Roy broke down the figure to the essential form that goes into its making and then synthesised it to suggest a structure. Jamini Roy often drew his imagery from village life narrating the life of the peasants, artisans, and followers of religious cults, village women and adivasis with immense dignity and representations that were authentic using simplification of form inspired by the folk arts of the region that had evolved over the centuries.
Village Life & Women

Sketch-VI Acc. No. 12585 | Ink on paper

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The large number of sketches and drawings in the NGMA collection give evidence of the distinctive way in which Jamini Roy structured his figures. Each figure is created by assembling a set of body parts which are broken down into simple forms only to be reclaimed as a whole. This sketch of a seated woman draped in a sari with her head covered in the collection of NGMA strongly points that Jamini Roy chose to narrate imagery drawn from the village life, be it the peasants, artisans, followers of religious cults, women, etc. The artist must have felt a sense of elation at finding his way back home because one observes an expression of joyous exuberance as he had found a way to communicate with the people.
Village Life & Women

Seated Woman Acc. No. 12730 | Ink on paper

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The seated figure of woman with hands folded has elements of the tribhanga or the bent axis from the traditional Indian iconography as the painting is infused with intense lyricism. The picture is livened up with the presence of landscape in the form of trees on either side of the seated woman and probably a hut with distinctive wall decorations. The painting also speaks of Jamini Roy's preference for folk styles and simplification of forms.
Village Life & Women

Woman Colour Line Drawing Acc. No. 12731 | Tempera on paper

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From 1924 onwards, Jamini Roy experimented with a new idiom. It was clear that he was looking for ways to simplify form. His images for the most part became monochromatic - an austere play of white, soft grey and black. With a masterly control of the brush, he created contours of the form with fluid, calligraphic lines. Roy, during this phase painted seated female forms, mother and child figures, bauls, leaping deer and crawling infants.

National Gallery of Modern Art pays tribute to the Pioneering Artist JAMINI ROY on his birth anniversary.

Artist's Profile

Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Epic Myth & Folk Cults

Birds & Beasts

Birds & Beasts

Birds & Beasts

Birds & Beasts

Birds & Beasts

Birds & Beasts

Birds & Beasts

Birds & Beasts

Birds & Beasts

Birds & Beasts

Birds & Beasts

Birds & Beasts

Birds & Beasts

Calligraphy & Sketch

Calligraphy & Sketch

Calligraphy & Sketch

Calligraphy & Sketch

Calligraphy & Sketch

Calligraphy & Sketch

Calligraphy & Sketch

Calligraphy & Sketch

Calligraphy & Sketch

Calligraphy & Sketch

Calligraphy & Sketch

Calligraphy & Sketch

Calligraphy & Sketch

Calligraphy & Sketch

Calligraphy & Sketch

Calligraphy & Sketch

Calligraphy & Sketch

Calligraphy & Sketch

Calligraphy & Sketch

Calligraphy & Sketch

Calligraphy & Sketch

Calligraphy & Sketch

Calligraphy & Sketch

Calligraphy & Sketch

Calligraphy & Sketch

Calligraphy & Sketch

Calligraphy & Sketch

Calligraphy & Sketch

Calligraphy & Sketch

Calligraphy & Sketch

Calligraphy & Sketch