Sailoz Mookherjea (1906–1960) was one of the early modernists in Indian art, known for his ability to simplify forms, use vigorous lines, and create dynamic movement in his works. Mookherjea was included in the 1979 list of Nine Masters of the Archaeological Survey of India.

Mookherjea’s work was deeply inspired by the people and environments around him. In 1978, India Post released a stamp featuring his painting titled The Mosque.

Sailoz Mookherjea’s simplification of form and vibrant use of color were influenced by his time in Europe and inspiration from the works of Henri Matisse. However, his primary influences were folk art and the Basohli miniatures. Mookherjea focused on themes of oneness with nature and rural serenity. His bold lines and powerful color techniques defined his artistic style.

At the turn of the 20th century, when a colonial aesthetic based in realism dominated the Indian art scene, the nationalist sentiment sweeping through India also spilled into the art scene. Sailoz Mookherjea was one of the important artists who emerged during this time and went on to create a unique artistic language that was characterised by a confluence of the Abanindranath Tagore-led Bengal School and European traditions. “An urbanised resident of Calcutta (now Kolkata) and Delhi, he chose to depict rural scenes in his work; inspired by Bengal mythology and its representation in art, he chose to paint scenes from everyday life.” (Kishore Singh ed., “Sailoz Mukherjea,” Masterpieces in Indian Modern Art, New Delhi: DAG, 2016, p. 283)

Mookherjea was known for being spontaneous with his art. He possessed the skill of “absorbing the surroundings around him and translating them visually on canvas…The swift movement in the brush strokes, the emotional way of applying colour…the scratching with the back of brush to create that linear effect to give movement to the whole surface, all this demonstrates his signature style of working.” (Singh ed., p. 285)

An expressionist painter, Mookherjea was also known for his use of a vibrant European palette in his idyllic landscapes and portraits of women, as evident in the present lot. “His colour juxtapositions are adventurous and sophisticated, each bit always alive and resonant yet mingling with others in a new harmony… In his treatment of landscapes he creates spaces organically by the movement of colour.” (Jaya Appasamy, Sailoz Mookherjea, New Delhi: Lalit Kala Akademi, 1966, p. iv)