Collections Database

Label Text:
Roy fixated on the terracotta horses that are native to Bankura district, West Bengal, where he grew up. The repeated appearance of this subject speaks as much to his interest in local subjects as it does to his preoccupation with the creative process. Indeed, Roy sought to revive India’s traditional workshop style of production, which he saw as more authentic than the European paradigm—with its emphasis on the lone, genius artist—in which he had been educated. Toward that end, he hired assistants to help complete multiple paintings of the same theme. Like the miniature clay Bankura horses on display at left, Roy’s works were produced in very large numbers, thus making them all the more affordable for the masses.

Tags:
dots; horses; patterns; profiles; standing

Subjects:
patterns (design elements); Profile portraits; Dots (Art); Horses; Standing position

Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=AC+2017.20

Research on objects in the collections, including provenance, is ongoing and may be incomplete. If you have additional information or would like to learn more about a particular object, please email fc-museums-web@fivecolleges.edu.