Untitled

Hemendranath Majumdar became famous for his female forms, even though he was a recognized portraitist and a good landscape painter. The figures of the two women in the NGMA collection are laden with nuanced eroticism. Both paintings show partially dressed women from obviously affluent backgrounds seen from the rich textiles and jewellery. But it is clear that in these two paintings, Majumdar is romanticizing the female figures from the artist’s treatment of skin tone, texture of textiles and hair and the subtly suggestive poses. The two paintings also show Majumdar’s deft handling of watercolours to achieve an ethereal effect. At the same time, one cannot completely deny that Majumdar has kept the male gaze in mind.