Krishen Khanna (Indian, b. 1925) Untitled (Patricia)

Krishen Khanna (Indian, b. 1925)
Untitled (Patricia)
signed 'K.Khanna 13/6/1954' lower left
oil on canvas, framed
56 x 33cm (22 1/16 x 13in).
Provenance
Property from a private collection, England.
Painted by the artist for the vendor's mother;
Thence by descent.

'I am talking about the painting I did of Patricia Atkinson which dates back from the days we were both with Keith, her husband, and I were working in Grindlay's Bank and we were in Madras at the time. I was transferred there to relieve Keith, and his duties in the bank, which was Grindlay's, and this painting came about because he said why don't you paint, I said maybe, I'll paint Patricia, so I did with whatever I had at hand and so forth and it turned out to be a very good painting actually. BBC showed this picture at one of their soiree's and that was it. Well, I hope this painting goes to a house which will like it.' Krishen Khanna, February 2023

An artist in residence: Krishen Khanna
Keith Atkinson (our father) worked for Grindlays Bank in India which is where he met Krishen, in the 1950s, in Madras (Chennai). Krishen needed temporary lodgings and as Patricia and Keith had a spare bedroom, they offered it to Krishen. The offer came with a gentle warning, the presence of two small boys (my brothers: John 2yrs ish; Aidan 0yrs). Would that be acceptable? It was, and Krishen came to stay.

An artist in residence proved to be very exciting; Patricia, Keith and friends would visit Krishen when he was painting. As his favoured spot was the bathroom, because it had the best light, there would, on occasion, be an enthusiastic audience perched on the side of the bath observing his progress. One can only wonder that this attention must have been a mixed blessing for an artist exploring his burgeoning talent and style.

Patricia's portrait is well travelled within India, East Pakistan, Bangladesh and finally to Ashover in Derbyshire. For over 60 years the painting has been an integral part of our lives; enjoyed and admired by family and friends alike.
Jane Graham nee Atkinson, John Atkinson and Aidan Atkinson

Painted in 1954, this portrait of Patricia Atkinson was featured on the BBC series, the Antiques Road Show on 2nd October 2016, and it instantly captured the attention of the viewers. It is an early painting from Khanna's oeuvre, yet could be mistaken to be a painting by a European artist from the 1930s owing to the style and subject portrayed; Amrita Shergil's portrait titled 'Self portrait at the easel,' for example immediately comes to mind. Regardless, it is a deeply personal painting for both Khanna and the Atkinson family as evidenced from their recollection above.

Painted in a thick impasto style, its genius lies in both its subject and use of colours, for it foreshadows the works that Khanna will come to be known for, the bandwalas. Khanna is foremost a figurative painter, and he seeks to capture moments in history, much like photographs. Patricia's portrait is photographic but transcends the photo-realist technique. She is seated, but her gaze is turned away from the viewer. Her expression is unreadable, and yet the muted colours used here, the blues, blacks, maroons, yellows and whites give the painting a soothing quality. Despite this soothing quality, we can detect elements of spontaneity. The background for example, is a mesh of various shades of reds, maroons and oranges, and is laced with black. Khanna appears to have enjoyed the process of creating this work, whilst experimenting to find his own style. Figurative painting was the norm for much of art history, and therefore elevating the repetitious, through the expressionistic brush stroke, and economical use of colours is what makes this painting a tour de force.

To see another figurative work sold in these rooms dating from the late 1950s, see Bonhams, Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art, 11th June 2015, London, lot 21.

Bonhams extends their gratitude to Krishen Khanna for his assistance in cataloguing this lot.