1942–September 2022: Held in a private collection (the specific lineage of ownership prior to the public auction is undocumented).
September 2022: Consigned to and featured in the Modern Art Auction hosted by Prinseps.
This unique untitled artwork of Ranada Charan Ukil was created in 1942 and is remarkable as it embodies early 20th-century Indian modernism in its best form. Being the youngest of Ukil brothers, who were also the leaders of the Bengal School revivalism in North India, Ranada Ukil has shown something new in this watercolor painting by merging classical and regional aesthetic traditions.
The painting shows a female figure only, in a soft romantic way typical of school of Bengal, at the same time using some specifics of Indian Miniature art and Anglo-Indian Company School. The piece is characterized by Ukil's mastery in the technique of fine watercolor wash. The artist's use of bright colours dominated by blue and green make the atmosphere of the piece rich and serene, even magical. All the outlines and details of the body prove the influence of traditional miniature art, while the way depth, shadows, and clothing are depicted have features of the academic realism of Company school. The combination of all this makes this artwork a rarity among Ukil's works, since he was known mainly for his religious murals and nationalistic themes.
The painting with its flowing lines and grace and its richness of form brings out a sense of poetry, changing a simple portrait into an extraordinary exploration of the indigenous roots and the charm of femininity. The artist succeeds in merging in the painting the classical Indian style of nayika (a romantic woman) or a village girl with a lyrical way of depicting the human body. The flowing lines of the braid and sari create the harmony of form. The painting demonstrates the artist’s skillful use of color, making an instrumental use of blue and green colors in depicting leaves and garments and warm brownish colors in painting the color of the skin and the decoration of the character. The woman is shown relaxing against an ornamented tree next to the ornamental container or water pot.
In 1927, Ranada Charan Ukil and his two brothers, Sarada, and Barada co-founded the famed Ukil School of Art in Connaught Place in the city of New Delhi. He was one of the few Indian artists chosen to travel to Europe to complete the historically significant murals decorating the dome and walls of the famous India House in London. His artworks are a great mixture of Indian heritage with the modernist ideas, gaining huge attention in mid-century modern art.
In 1928, the three brothers established the All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS) in New Delhi. This was one of the first significant independent art organizations in India. Ranada was chosen to paint the historically important murals in India House, providing the audience with the power of the Indian art. After the sudden demise of his elder brother Sarada in 1940, Ranada moved to Varanasi (Benares) where he opened an Art School and taught painting classes at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), contributing to the revival of art in the region.
Created in 1942, this untitled watercolor by Ranada Charan Ukil radiates a quiet sense of beauty and grace. A young woman rests beside an ornamental tree and a decorative water pot, surrounded by soft blues, greens, and warm earthy tones that create a calm, dreamlike atmosphere. Ukil combines the gentle lyricism of the Bengal School with the intricate detailing of Indian Miniature painting and the naturalistic touches of the Company School, resulting in a composition that feels both timeless and intimate. Delicate brushwork, flowing lines, and expressive color reveal the artist's remarkable ability to celebrate femininity through elegance, harmony, and poetic simplicity.
