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Picture-perfect President
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President K. R. Narayanan may be set to move out of Rashtrapati Bhavan, but the portrait painted by Sanjay Bhattacharya will ensure that visitors to the Banquet Hall, at least, will never know he's gone. AJIT KUMAR DUTTA admires the painting and points out the lovingly detailed care taken in putting it together...
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THE RASHTRAPATI Bhavan art collection will soon be enriched with a new oil painting that readily impresses both by its quality and its dimensions - 8 feet by 5 feet. It is a portrait of President K.R. Narayanan by Sanjay Bhattacharya, a talented artist of the new generation. The painting will adorn the Banquet Hall in a few days' time alongside portraits of other past occupants of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Some of these have been executed by stalwarts like Atul Bose, S. Roerich, Bikas Bhattacharya and G.R. Santosh among others.
Known primarily for realistic renderings, Sanjay Bhattacharya has a good many portraits to his credit including that of President Shankar Dayal Sharma.
Narrating his experience regarding the present assignment, Sanjay provides interesting sidelights. For instance, he suggested a standing pose instead of the seated position usually adhered to. The suggestion found ready acceptance, as also his idea that the library appeared to be the right place for the purpose. He did not approve the make-up idea, but advised no haircut just for a few days. Also, the artist felt that the number of sittings should be kept to the minimum, and that too only initially, so as not to bother the President much. He did not favour the practice of using a dummy either. Actually he proceeded with a photograph approved by the President.
The arrangement of things to be depicted around the President was the next question. At the suggestion of the President himself, a small charkha was put on top of the low bookshelf close to the national flag. Next, the artist finalised his pictorial composition, the colour scheme and so on.
Finally the painting emerged on the canvas, depicting the President flanked between a standing grandfather clock and a low bookshelf.
Through the tall window behind him can be seen a portion of the lawn and a paved pathway lined with trees - a fairly big area of the well-known Moghul Garden in the Rashtrapati Bhavan compound.
The way it all comes out - the room interior well lighted, with heavy window curtain and dark jacket of the central character, the viewers' attention automatically turns to the focal point - the face, expressive and well delineated.
Also, the bright spines and covers of the volumes on the shelves finely balance the colour aspects. Besides, the fine detailing, as in the floor carpet, abundantly reflects the artistic skill and competence.
Once again, Sanjay has succeeded in upholding his reputation.
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