SYED HAIDER RAZA (B. 1922)

"The French countryside was new to me, and beautiful, and became the inspiration of my work. I visited Autun, Vazelay and Chartres, and Avignon and Provence on my explorations into French countryside and its architecture [...] for many years my main theme was the French landscape." (G. Sen, Bindu, Space and Time in Raza's Vision, New Delhi, 1997, pp. 55-56)

Raza travelled extensively throughout France and for several years explored Provence and the region referred to as Alpes-Maritimes, passing through Mont Agel, a mountain located on the border between France and Monaco, from which the present work takes its name. Here Raza used a more subdued, dark and richly toned palette to capture the spirit and intensity of the landscape. Although areas of foliage and the mountain are apparent, Raza's use of heavy impasto and gestural brushstrokes to balance areas of darkness and light shows a marked tendency towards abstraction that would later characterize his works from the 1970s.