Untitled

Artist: Partha Bhattacharjee
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Size: 30 × 24 inches (76.2 × 60.96 cm)

Meticulously rendered colored pencil drawing that captures a moment of quiet companionship between two elderly individuals, likely an older couple, seated at a modest table in what appears to be a familiar domestic setting. With remarkable attention to detail and emotional subtlety, the artist weaves a narrative of intimacy, memory, and the passage of time.

The man, positioned on the left, is bald, wears glasses, and is dressed in a light, brownish-beige kurta-like garment. He holds a small, delicately ornate teacup, poised mid-gesture, as if frozen in a moment of reflection or conversation. Opposite him, the woman, also light-skinned with greying hair and glasses, sits quietly. A red bindi marks her forehead, and she wears a sari rendered in warm, muted hues of yellowish-beige and reddish-pink. Her gaze is cast slightly downward toward the table, suggesting introspection or a quiet thought.

Between them lies a modest, brownish-orange wooden table. Carefully spread across its surface are playing cards, hinting at a shared pastime, a long-standing ritual of togetherness. A partially visible newspaper adds a layer of everyday realism and narrative, suggesting a domestic rhythm, perhaps an afternoon ritual of tea, cards, and quiet companionship. In the background, an old-fashioned pendulum wall clock further reinforces the theme of time, both literal and symbolic. Its presence is subtle but powerful, marking the temporal stillness of the scene while also alluding to the many years shared between the figures.

The drawing is executed with a soft, textured quality that mimics the feel of aged paper. Bhattacharjee’s use of colored pencils is both restrained and expressive; his muted, earthy palette, ranging through browns, creams, and beiges, enhances the nostalgic tone of the piece, creating a sense of warmth and familiarity. Every detail, from the folds in the clothing to the gentle shading of skin tones, is handled with sensitivity and care. Work is more than a portrait of two individuals, it is a meditation on enduring love, shared rituals, and the quiet dignity of aging. Bhattacharjee's ability to elevate the ordinary into something deeply poetic makes this work resonate with both emotional depth and visual charm.