“ One of the main differences between a painting and print is that print is mechanical in a way. In an email from Baroda Jyotibhai writes: Bhatt has over the years created many intaglios and etchings with the subject of the feminine form and they have all been created with verve and vivacity and dulcet evocations. The mood is one of humour and lightness as we watch the gopis in different moods.The detailing is delightful.The subtle hint of erotica tells us that a woman’s body must be treated with admiration and respect. In the water each one is an expression to behold.The blue skinned God sitting on the tree is lost in his own thoughts.What endears above all is the nestling of birds, animals and the choreography of man and nature. Looking closely, the Krishna Leela is a commentary of the dark skinned God and the gopis. Shalini Sawhney who has been dealing with Jyoti Bhatt all these 25 years , creates a compelling wall for the feeling/viewing of an in-depth fervour. The 7 hand painted etchings are a treat for tired eyes.From a redolent Mayuri to the Krishna with Gopis and the multiple dimensions of faces each work is a mooring of deeply thought out compositions that flit through the tapestry of time. Each hand painted etching offers a transformative and captivating collection of art that allows viewers to experience an etching from a refreshingly authentic perspective. It has been home to innovative, singular, and pioneering exhibitions across a variety of media and genres over 25 years.Īctive in both the primary and secondary markets, Shalini Sawhney has helped foster the careers of some of the most influential artists working today and has maintained long-term representation of a wide-ranging, national group of artists.Padma Shri Jyoti Bhatt is one of them. It functions as a contemporary art gallery that represents many distinguished artists and estates. It’s a 25 year old institution of great artistic ferment and wealth of documentational evidence.Its book on KG Subramanyan drawings is a veritable tome of historical depth.Its books on Jyoti Bhatt written by Ram Rahman and its book on Sudhir Patwardhan related to his Retrospective at NGMA are two more histories of visual aesthetics. It’s not a marketing gimmick that pays writers across the board in journalism to heap praises and do a litany of articles.

The Guild Gallery has impeccable credentials.It’s not a selling shop like many galleries in India. Looking at these hand painted etchings by the master printmaker makes one realise the prowess of his vocabulary and the beauty of a cultivated relationship that goes back many years. Shalini Sawhney of The Guild Art Gallery has created her own tenets of art history in the manner of functioning. Tucked away in the first room on the ground floor at Bikaner House in Delhi, on a wall were Jyoti Bhatt’s hand painted etchings that took your breath away.

Nostalgia critic the wall