Untitled

Artist: Arup Das
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Size: 12 × 24 inches (30.48 × 60.96 cm)
Year: 1970

This captivating painting evokes a dreamlike narrative, rich with symbolism and layered human emotions. Executed in a warm, earthy palette dominated by ochres, siennas, muted greens, and blush pinks, the composition fuses figuration and abstraction to explore themes of identity, mythology, and human connection. The central visual tension is created by the juxtaposition of monumental, stylized human heads on the left, and more delicate, surreal imagery on the right. One of the most striking elements is the large profile of a face emerging from textured brushwork. Its bold presence, formed through thick applications of paint and subtle shading, seems to serve as a silent witness to the unfolding scene. The expression is contemplative, almost melancholic, inviting the viewer into an introspective space.

Towards the center, a nude female figure is seen riding a lion, a powerful, mythic image that immediately evokes ideas of feminine strength, courage, and spiritual transformation. The figure’s posture, upright and serene, suggests control and harmony with the wild animal beneath her. This motif is reminiscent of archetypal imagery found in both Eastern and Western traditions, Durga in Hindu mythology or the concept of the anima in Jungian psychology.

The background is abstracted with soft washes and broken textures, giving the surface a worn, almost ancient quality, as though the narrative is unfolding in an eternal dreamscape. The full moon depicted in the upper right quadrant adds a mystical, timeless atmosphere and subtly implies cycles, introspection, and emotional depth. Adjacent to it, a loosely rendered standing figure appears vulnerable yet grounded, anchoring the viewer back to human corporeality.

The overall treatment of the painting, its layered, textured brushwork, subtle tonal transitions, and translucent overlays, demonstrates the artist's command over medium and form. The figures appear to dissolve and reemerge through the surface, reinforcing the idea of memory, spiritual transcendence, or even a psychological journey. This painting draws from the modernist vocabulary but reinterprets it through an intimate, narrative lens. There’s a poetic fluidity in the arrangement that suggests influences from artists like Gaganendranath Tagore or early F. N. Souza, yet it remains deeply personal. The work stands as a meditation on human vulnerability, myth, and identity, inviting prolonged viewing and open-ended interpretation. It blurs the line between the external world and the inner psyche, creating a space where the conscious and subconscious meet in harmonious ambiguity.