Ghulam Rasool Santosh (Indian, 1929-1997) Untitled (Enlightenment)Ghulam Rasool Santosh (Indian, 1929-1997)Untitled (Enlightenment) signed lower upper left and signed, dated and with size, G R Santosh/34 x 41'/9/2/62 verso oil and wax on canvas, framed86.6 x 104.5cm (34 1/8 x 41 1/8in).ProvenanceAcquired by the vendor's cousin, William Begley, in Kashmir from the artist between 1963-1965;Gifted to the vendor's family in 1969.Born Ghulam Rasool Dar in Chinkral Mohalla, Habba Kadal in Srinagar, Kashmir, Rasool came to be known as Ghulam Rasool Santosh, after he assumed his wife's name, Santosh, at the beginning of their marriage. In 1954 he enrolled at the Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda and studied fine arts under N.S Bendre, where he produced a large body of figurative and landscape work in the cubist style. Kashmir was the subject of his landscapes, and his style remain unchanged until 1959, after which his works evolved and figuration gave way to abstraction. The period between 1959-1964, was a precursor to his neo-tantric style, for which he is most well known, and when the present lot was painted. The early sixties were politically, socially and art historically important for India. In 1959, New Delhi witnessed an influx of Tibetan exiles, including the Dalai Lama, who were driven out of Tibet by the Chinese government. This was coupled with the end of the Nehruvian era and the questions that were raised about the success of his industrialisation programmes and presidency. Artistic groups such as Group 1890 were also emerging that challenged and sought a new outlook on Indian Art. Inspired by these changes, Santosh wanted to move away from a derivative European style, and wanted to create an idiom that embraced his Kashmiri heritage within the broader Indian context. (Rebecca M. Brown, Awakening: A Retrospective of G.R. Santosh, Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, 2011, pp 29)Still captivated by Kashmir, he derived his inspiration for the body of work created during this period, including the present lot, from his native Kashmiri hills. Although elements of Cubism are apparent in this work, we can also see the beginnings of spirituality and mystery, that would flourish in his works after 1964, which is when his trip to the Amarnath cave resulted in a mystical experience, that transformed his works. This work is therefore important for it bridges his two crucial periods and fuses elements from both, something that would not be seen in his works again. To see similar works from 1962, titled 'Snows of Kashmir,' and Cityscape (Reflection) respectively see Sotheby's, Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art, New York, 18th September 2013, lot 60 and Awakening: A Retrospective of G.R. Santosh, Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, 2011, pp 96.William Begley worked for the UN and was stationed in Kashmir during the peacekeeping operations between 1964-1966 which is when he acquired this work.