Sunil Madhav Sen (1910 - 1979)

Mixed Media on Paper

15.5 x 9.5 Inches

Sunil Madhav Sen’s early training came through an apprenticeship with Hemen Majumdar, whose naturalistic style left a strong impression. As a young artist, Sen participated in plein air trips to Darjeeling, painting hill landscapes and portraits of local people—experiences that honed his observational skills and introduced him to the expressive power of the human face.

This head study sits at a transitional point in Sen’s practice. While grounded in portraiture, it moves beyond realism toward a more expressive idiom.

Sen’s early portraits included iconic figures like Vivekananda, Raja Rammohan Roy, and Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. Over time, however, his focus shifted—from likeness to evocation, from the outer form to inner life. This work reflects that turn: rooted in tradition, yet reaching toward a distinctly modern language of figuration.