Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a paint painting by Badri Lal Chitrakar. It dates from 1960 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Untitled is a 1960 opaque watercolour painting on paper by Chitrakar Badri Lal, replicating an earlier work (IS.77-1963) in a modern context.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a serene palace scene where a nobleman and a lady are immersed in a game of chaupar, conveying a moment of leisure and intimacy within an aristocratic setting.
Technique & Style
Lal utilized a vibrant, carefully selected palette (including nil, mathia, mungia, sinduri, red lead, alta, lac-colour, synthetic gaugali, and gorarang) alongside bold colors and simple, outlined forms to create visual clarity and narrative focus.
History & Provenance
Created in 1960 as a modern replica of IS.77-1963, the painting's provenance and exhibition history are not detailed here, though it reflects Lal's engagement with traditional subjects in his contemporary practice.
Context
As a work by Chitrakar Badri Lal, it belongs to a lineage of artists known for their distinctive style and thematic engagement with courtly life, though specific contextual influences on this piece are not elaborated.
Artist & collection
Artist
Badri Lal Chitrakar spent his days in a Kolkata studio that smelled of turpentine and sweet chai.
