Mother and child

Mother and Child is an ink drawing by an Indian artist, Gopal Sanyal, created in 1964. This artwork measures 70cm by 51cm and is about the bond between a mother and her child. Gopal Sanyal became known for his expressive sketches, drawings and paintings. He often distorted or abstracted the human figures to add emotion to his pieces. Unlike many artists at the time, he did not try to create an 'idealised’ piece but instead concentrated on the reality of life and often depicted simple people. His art had a good knowledge of anatomy using bold lines, careful details and expressive images. In Mother and Child, the ink drawing has focused on the lines, tones and how they interact. The ink allows for contrast to be used, creating depth in the image. This links to Sanyal’s love for humans, his ability to see the emotions in everyday people, and his portrayal of them through his art. His art was influenced by modernist ideas however he still had a great interest in human figures. Mother and Child shows how Sanyal explored human relationships through his art. This piece shows how a simple scene can have emotion looked into, looking at human relationships and how expressive figurative art can be.