Sudhir Ranjan Khastagir Sold at Auction Prices

Sudhir Ranjan Khastgir (Indian, 1907-1974) - Krishna Fluting to one of the Gopis - watercolour

Sudhir Ranjan Khastagir, FRSA (Indian, 1907-1974) Krishna Fluting to one of the Gopis in the Moonlight signed lower right "Sudhir Khastgir" watercolour h:40 w: 28 cm Other Notes: The present watercolour is a lovely scene by Sudhir Ranjan Khastagir, from the 1920s. Khastagir was a pioneer of Modern Bengali art, and the present painting is quite a significant piece in terms of the history of Shantiniketan. Sudhir Khastagir, had his initial training in fine arts at Santiniketan. Just before his final examination, Sudhir Khastagir was arrested for his alleged involvement in underground terrorist activities; after his release he gained a place at the Kala Bhavan to study Fine Art under Nandalal Bose in 1929, where he also studied sculpture. Later, Khastagir went to Bombay to learn stone carving at the studio of the renowned sculptor Ganpat Kashinath Mahtre in 1933. Sudhir Khastagir distinguished himself in painting both in water colour and oil, and also in sculpture. His paintings show textured surface and robust linear rhythm, unlike the smooth tonalities of the Neo-Bengal School, a deliberate departure which he extended to his stone sculptures which were given rough surface. A prolific artist, Sudhir Khastagir did sculpture portraits of Rabindranath Tagore and Jawaharlal Nehru, and two of his full-length status of Gandhi (in plaster) at the Raj Bhawan in Lucknow and in Port Blair (in cement) in the Andamans. He began his career as the art teacher at the Scindia School in Gwalior (1934); after two years he joined the staff of the Doon School where he taught for 20 years. On a travelling fellowship offered by the Deutsch Academy of Munich he visited art institutions and museums in Europe (1937), and while having a solo show in London he met the renowned British sculptor Eric Gill. Khastagir became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, London (1937), and the Government of India honoured him with Padmashri in 1958. He was prolific in painting and sculpting, wrote many serious articles in important journals in Bengali and English. Khastagir was also a fine flute player and singer of Tagore's songs.