Footnotes

Provenance
Property from a private collection, UK.
Acquired from Nicholas Treadwell Gallery, London, 1968.

Born in Vadodara in 1920, Bakre emerged as a key figure in the development of modern art in India. At the age of 19, he moved to Bombay to study at the Sir J.J. School of Art, where he earned a diploma in modelling and stone carving. During his time there, he was introduced to the principles of European and American Modernism, which had a lasting impact on his artistic vision. In 1947, Bakre joined forces with celebrated contemporaries like Francis Newton Souza, Maqbool Fida Husain, K.H. Ara, H.A. Gade, and Syed Haider Raza to form the Progressive Artists' Group (PAG). Their collective aim was to challenge the revivalist ideals of the Bengal School of Art and to lead a bold, avant-garde movement that reimagined Indian art on a modernist foundation.

Disillusioned with the contemporary art scene of the 1960s, Bakre relocated to London to further his artistic pursuits. From 1951 to 1975, his time in Great Britain opened new possibilities for his practice, allowing him to focus exclusively on painting. During this period, Bakre refined his skills by treating his canvases in a sculptural manner, deepening his understanding of line, form, and colour while exploring two-dimensional patterns.

Though primarily celebrated for his bold abstractions and geometric compositions, this work reveals a different facet of Bakre's artistry. Here, in Untitled (Woman at the Window) he departs from his characteristic focus on urban depictions and abstraction and instead embraces figuration, allowing expressive human forms to take centre stage. Influenced by the dynamic and linear visual language of the Vorticists, who explored the fragmented energy of modern life through sharp angles and rhythmic forms, Bakre's brushstrokes evoke a contemplative, modernist portraiture.

The muted, earthy tones of red, brown, and purple create a sombre and introspective atmosphere. The composition is structured by geometric elements, such as window frames and reflections, which add depth to the scene. The figure's posture and expression suggest quiet reflection or longing, evoking a sense of loneliness and melancholy.

In, Untitled (Woman at the Window) Bakre channels his signature modernist techniques into deeply expressive and focused depictions of the human figure, capturing both its emotional vulnerability and a profound sense of introspection.

For a similar work from the same collection previously sold on these premises see Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art, 10th December 2024, lot 41.