Enrica Medugno
Sale Coordinator
Lot 15*
Shiavax Chavda(1914-1990)Swing
5 June 2024, 14:00 BST
London, New Bond StreetSold for £5,504 inc. premium
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Priya Singh
Head of Department
Shiavax Chavda (1914-1990)
Swing
signed 'S. Chavda 1968' lower left; further inscribed 'Swing by Shaivax Chavda 1968,'Master Chambers, 1 Cinema Rd., Dhobitalao, Bombay 20 BR, India' verso
oil on canvas, framed
81.5 x 61.2cm (32 1/16 x 24 1/8in).
signed 'S. Chavda 1968' lower left; further inscribed 'Swing by Shaivax Chavda 1968,'Master Chambers, 1 Cinema Rd., Dhobitalao, Bombay 20 BR, India' verso
oil on canvas, framed
81.5 x 61.2cm (32 1/16 x 24 1/8in).
Footnotes
Provenance
Property from a private collection, Greece.
Acquired in India;
Thence by descent.
After completing his formal education in art at the prestigious Sir J.J. School of Art in Mumbai, Chavda embarked on a prolific career marked by innovation and experimentation. Influenced by the progressive art movements of the early 20th century, including Cubism and Surrealism, Chavda developed a distinctive style characterized by bold colours, geometric forms, and dreamlike imagery.
His subjects were inspired by his extensive travels throughout India, and included temples, fauna, sculptures and the various dance forms. Known as a painter of movement, he had a deep appreciation for dance, and captured the culture and joy of dance that he witnessed on his travels. In Swing Chavda appears to have captured one of these jubilant moments, with a girl enjoying a leisurely swing, against the backdrop of a hut, depicted in the far right corner. One of the most striking aspects of Chavda's technique in Swing is his use of colour and light. The painting is suffused with a warm, golden glow that bathes the scene in a soft, ethereal light. His brushwork is fluid yet precise, and the girl is painted with merely an outline. Devoid of colour, Chavda's succeeds in capturing the swaying motion of the swing and the delicate flutter of fabric in the breeze, elevating an ordinary scene to the extraordinary.