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Item Tag: Landscape

1985 Raghubir Singh Transplanting Paddy Outskirts Srinagar Kashmir India SIGNED

About this work: “Transplanting Paddy, On the Outskirts of Srinagar, Kashmir, 1985” by Raghubir Singh (1942-1999) This exceptional image portrays two women in traditional attire working in waterlogged paddy fields during the process of transplanting rice seedlings. Their orange clothing contrasts beautifully with the lush green fields and the blue tones of the water and distant mountains. In the foreground, a wooden cart with large metal wheels, presumably used to carry seedlings, rests at the edge of the field. The perspective emphasizes the agricultural labor and tools central to rural life in this region. In the background, the serene beauty of Kashmir is highlighted with its iconic landscape: flat green fields, scattered trees, and the majestic Himalayas under a partly cloudy sky. This photograph encapsulates Singh's mastery of blending human activity with the natural environment, offering both a documentary and artistic representation of rural Kashmir during the period. The work is a dye-transfer print and is signed and inscribed by Singh in pencil on the reverse. It is numbered #1 from the edition of 20. The work is further stamped by the artist on the reverse. It is housed in a silver frame behind UV resistant glass. Provenance: Private collection, US; Acquired from the above Size: 9 1/2 inches tall by 14 1/2 inches wide (image) 17 1/8 inches tall by 21 5/8 inches wide (sheet) 18 1/2 inches tall by 22 1/2 inches wide by 1 inch deep (frame) About the artist: Raghubir Singh (1942–1999) was a pioneer of color street photography who worked and published prolifically from the late 1960s until his death in 1999 at age 56. Born into an aristocratic family in Rajasthan, he lived in Hong Kong, Paris, London, and New York—but his eye was perpetually drawn back to his native India. Using a handheld camera and color slide film, he recorded India's dense milieu in complex frieze-like compositions teeming with incident, fractured by reflections, and pulsating with opulent color. Singh embraced color as part of a continuous Indian aesthetic tradition that reaches back to the miniature paintings of the Mughal period. He was also deeply influenced by the work of Henri Cartier-Bresson (whom he met in Jaipur in 1966), Bengali filmmaker Satyajit Ray, and American street photographers such as William Gedney and Lee Friedlander. As he traveled along his own artistic path, Singh forged a distinctively Indian style of modernist photography that stands, as he put it, “on the Ganges side of modernism.” Condition: Excellent overall condition. No apparent flaws to the image. Sheet professionally hinged along top edge. Frame with typical wear from handling. It is ready to be displayed and enjoyed! This work will be carefully packed and shipped with insurance and signature confirmation. Free local pick up is also available. International buyers – please note I cannot lower the declared value of the package for customs. I frequently receive messages from people after I sell an item, asking if it is definitely gone. If something catches your eye, don't hesitate to inquire before it is sold! Feel free to ask any questions.