A painting by Sadequain (Pakistan, 1937-1987) titled ‘Three sitting figures’, is estimated to sell for £23,000-28,000 at Bonhams Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern & South Asian Art on 2nd June 2010.
Sadequain was one of the first modern artists from the Indian Subcontinent to achieve international fame and at the relatively early age of thirty-one. Whilst living in Paris in the 1960s he was chosen to illustrate the novel, The Stranger by Albert Camus, a significant achievement for the artist. He was also awarded the ‘Laureate Biennale de Paris’ for his painting titled The Last Supper.
That Sadequain can be compared to Picasso by the French establishment shows how his innate talent was accepted as a reflection of their own great and revered master, Pablo Picasso.
By 1964 Sadequain had firmly established his footing in French art circles. ‘Le Monde et Lavie’ in Paris reported in its April edition, “The multiplicity of Sadequain’s gifts is reminiscent of Picasso.” A comparison of a young Asian artist to an important figure such as Picasso was a triumph indeed. Sadequain never looked back, and while shuttling between Europe and Asia during the mid 1960s created a significant body of work over a period of seven years that in isolation could place him amongst the most significant artists of the era.
This particular painting was done during the artist’s prolific and progressive ‘Blue and Ochre’ period. Sadequain was living in between Paris and Karachi for most of the sixties and he painted a number of these mystic images during this transient period.
Three Sitting Figures is a study of abstract figurative forms and was painted in Karachi in March 1963. The artist possibly saw it as an important and rare work as it was deemed significant enough for it to be brought with the artist to Paris. It consequently formed part of the Jean Forges collection in Paris until acquired by the present owner.
www.bonhams.com/mesa