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Paritosh Sen (1918-2008) Politician worshipping a cow image 1
Paritosh Sen (1918-2008) Politician worshipping a cow image 2
Paritosh Sen (1918-2008) Politician worshipping a cow image 3
Lot 31*

Paritosh Sen
(1918-2008)
Politician worshipping a cow

5 June 2024, 14:00 BST
London, New Bond Street

Sold for £3,328 inc. premium

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Paritosh Sen (1918-2008)

Politician worshipping a cow
title verso
watercolour and pencil on paper
55 x 73.5cm (21 5/8 x 28 15/16in).

Footnotes

Provenance
Property from a private collection, Sweden.
Acquired from the artist in the early 1980s.

Sen was a founder member of the Calcutta Group. Formed in 1943, it was the first artistic movement of its kind in India. Bengal was home to many of the group's members and it had been assaulted by multiple tragedies including massacres, famines, wars and Partition. Consequently, the group sought to comment on these social and political realities through their works. Their manifesto therefore focussed on the renouncement of religion in art and sought to find a way to create opportunities to modernise Indian art. In Politician worshipping a cow, we see how Sen exemplified the groups ideology. Known for employing satire, humour and caricature, Sen masterfully critiques the intersection of religion and politics and raises questions about the separation of religion and state, the authenticity of politicians' beliefs, and the manipulation of religious sentiments for political purposes.

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