LONDON.- Peter Quintana and the Partners of Oc-Eo Art, a fine art company specialising in contemporary Asian fine art, today announced they will be handling a rare painting by S K Bakre, co-founder, with F N Souza, of the Bombay Progressive Artists Group in 1947, and an Indian contemporary master with a world-wide reputation.

The painting, entitled ‘Townscape’, has been authenticated by Bonhams London. Oil on board, measuring 58x120cms, it exemplifies Bakre’s fine eye for colour – strong pure tones mixed boldly to project warmth.

Painter and sculptor Sadanand Bakre (S. K. Bakre) (1920 – 2007) was one of the founders of the Bombay Progressive Artists' Group, the highly influential pioneers of modern art in India. Bakre joined the J.J. School of Art in 1939, and proceeded to win several awards in the annual Bombay Art Society exhibitions before he and F N Souza decided to take the contemporary art movement in India forward by forming the Bombay Progressive Artists’ Group in 1947. This was later joined by S H Raza, K H Ara, H A Gade, and M F Husain.

The Progressive Artists' Group made a vital contribution to the contemporary art movement in India by consciously seeking a new form which could describe the Indian reality immediately after the country's independence. In the early days, the group used to go out and paste posters on the walls because their paintings were rejected by the society in Bombay, whose patron was the governor. Despite these early setbacks, the group “forged ahead fearlessly with total freedom from the restrictions of set styles and traditions of realism”.

After the PAG disbanded in the mid-50s, Bakre continued to work and had one-man shows at Gallery One (London) in 1959, the Centaur Gallery (Mumbai) in 1962 and at the Commonwealth Institute in 1961. He also exhibited in many galleries in Europe and the United States. He received a lifetime achievement award from the Bombay Art Society in 2004.

Quintana said ‘We plan to show the painting at the Russian, Eastern and Oriental Art Fair in London from 9th-12th June, and are promoting beforehand with the intention of selling to the highest bidder by the last day of the fair. The current record for a Bakre was set by Bonhams in 2007 at £37,800, so this is a rare opportunity to take advantage of an art market still below it’s pre-recession peak to acquire a painting of some significance'.

Launched in October 2006 by Peter Quintana, Oc-Eo Art has rapidly become a leading specialist in contemporary fine art from Asia, introducing work by both established and emerging artists. Oc-Eo Art regularly exhibits in London, Bath and Harrogate, and has permanent exhibition space at Oc-Eo Gallery, 85 Canonbury Road, London N1 2DG.