Sunil Madhav Sen - UNTITLED (Figure in Red)

Sunil Madhav Sen (1910 - 1979)

Mixed Media on Paper

14.5 x 9.5 Inches

In this work, Sunil Madhav Sen places a solid red form at the centre, with a focus on structure and materiality. By the 1960s–70s, he had turned to a deeper exploration of surface, density, and form. Though never formally trained, Sen studied Western masters like Picasso, Goya, and Rembrandt. Yet his style remained distinct, shaped by his early years in Bankura, exposure to folk traditions, and his association with the Calcutta Group from 1951. His process—layering pigment, scraping surfaces, and using unconventional materials reflected an intuitive, self-taught approach to painting. This work, grounded in deep reds, hints at the body, the mask, and the monument, without stating them outright.