Krishan Khanna Hand Sketch 19th-20th century A.D. A framed sketch of hands; attributed on the bottom right to the Indian artist Krishan Khanna. 1.6 kg, 49.5 x 42 cm (19 1/2 x 16 1/2 in.). Property of a London lady. D'Silva family collection, London, UK. Acquired in 2009 by her uncle from Saffronart, Mumbai, India. Private Mumbai collection. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no.11089-183801. Krishan Khanna was born in 1925 in what is now Faislabad in Pakistan. He grew up in Lahore, studying at the city’s Mayo School of Art. In 1947, Khanna’s family moved to Shimla as a result of the Partition of India and Pakistan, and Khanna was deeply affected by not only the change in his personal life, but also the socio-political chaos that reigned around him. His early works are reproductions of the scenes that were indelibly imprinted in his memory during this period. Bordering on the narrative, Khanna’s work captures moments in history, much like photographs do, but the artist’s technique is far from photo-realist. Khanna transfers his observations onto the canvas with spontaneity and exuberance, keeping the representational elements of his subject matter intact. The artist’s use of colour and his expressionist brushwork make the mundane rise to the challenge of the creative. A largely self-taught artist, Khanna studied at the Imperial Service College, Windsor, England, from where he graduated in 1940. The first exhibition in which Khanna’s works were featured was one of this Group’s exhibitions held in 1949. In 1955, Khanna had his first solo show at the USIS, Chennai, and since then has been exhibiting his work widely in India and abroad. In 1964, Khanna was artist-in-residence at the American University, Washington D.C. In 1965, he won a fellowship from the Council for Economic and Cultural Affairs, New York following the travel grant they had awarded him three years earlier. Recognising his immense contribution to Indian Art, the Government of India has bestowed several honours upon him including the Lalit Kala Ratna from the President of India in 2004 and the Padma Shri in 1990.