What primarily catches the eye in this painting is the use of luminous colours and the leisurely atmosphere - the yellows, flaming oranges and reds dominate the canvas, lending it a restrained vitality.
The subject is a woman no longer in her youth, but there is no stress on age, for not that but femininity is the artists theme. Absent-mindedly holding the flower to her cheek, her expression shows she is not even aware of her action. Eyes looking into space, she is lost in reverie of her own. She is there but not quite. She is sitting on the steps and we can see the drapery of the interior and the plants of the outdoor one on either side; the background being relevant to her state of mind. Dressed in a simple yellow saree and a red blouse, she wears ordinary beads for the neck, ankles and wrists and her hair is adorned with flowers.
The rich silk drapes in a volume inducing chiaroscuro on the left are juxtaposed against a flower pot on the opposite side which has sparse leaves and flowers, so that the painting does not look cramped.
The artist with his great form sensibility and colour space orchestration has sublimated it into a significant work of art.
This description by Renu Rana.
heures depuis 2nd Oct, 2008
