"His line has decision and is taut with power... Direct and clear minded, he admits from his work all but the essentials of form and content... The components of his pictures are few but authentic; there is no weakness in his wide curves, no emptiness in his spacious surfaces."
Stella Kramrisch's forward for Bishnu Dey and John Irwin's essay, Jamini Roy, first published by the Indian Society of Oriental Art in 1944, reproduced in The Art of Jamini Roy, Calcutta, 1987
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Jamini Roy is one of the most important 20th century artists from South Asia, drawing on the popular and folk traditions of rural Bengal for his inspiration. His paintings can be divided into three main themes: the everyday life of rural Bengal, Hindu mythological subjects and Christian imagery.
He used indigenous materials, including lamp black for the outline drawing, 7 basic colours (Indian red, yellow ochre, cadmium green, vermilion, grey, blue and white), which he applied with organic tempera, earth and mineral pigments.
'From 1910–20, Roy worked at the Indian Society of Oriental Art, which resulted in him moving away from his previous, largely Orientalist style of painting. Consequently, he began deepening his familiarity with the folk pat vocabulary and studying the pictorial traditions of the Kalighat pat as well as the paintings of Sunayani Devi. Dissatisfied with the limitations of his Euro-centric academic training and the Revivalist movement in Bengal, he began moving away from both modes by the mid-1920s, with the aim of defining an alternative “modern” Indian art.'
Watch - In 2024 we interviewed Partha Mitter on the origins of the Bengal School.
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Partha Mitter on the Origins of the Bengal School
July 31, 2024The eminent historian Partha Mitter discusses the origins of the Bengal School of Art in the early 20th century. In this discussion with Director Charles Moore, he also contextualises the... -
His work has for many years been desired and highly sought-after, and looking back at auction catalogues from the 1990s, it is remarkable the prices for which it would sell for, especially when compared to prices for other artists such as Gaitonde, Souza, Raza etc.
The painting shows Jesus with flowing hair and a striped tunic, set within a halo-like niche painted in white. The V&A Museum has a large collection of work by the artist, including several studies for his depictions of Christ.
This painting was purchased by British soldier serving in India towards the end of the Second World War and brought back by him to the UK. It was subsequently sold by a family member to a collector in the USA.
Roy was extremely prolific, painting multiple examples of his most popular images. We often have work by Jamini Roy at the gallery, as his paintings were extremely popular with those visiting India.
In early 2025 we held an exhibition of his seldom seen black and white paintings, including a rare 1930s canvas owned by British academic Humphrey House.
If you are looking for a particular subject matter it is always worth contacting the gallery to see if we have something suitable. -
Other examples of Christian subject matter
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Jamini Roy, Arcade Gallery, London, 1946 -
