Signed, dated, titled and inscribed 'Manu Parekh' 14' / 'Moonlight Festival at Banaras' / 3' x 6' / Acrylic on Canvas / 2014' (on the reverse)

PROVENANCE
Private collection, Dubai

Manu Parekh, one of India's best known contemporary artist, is noted for his works on Banaras. He depicts the zany "city of light" in panoramic landscapes bursting with the celebration of colours and noise. Following his visit in 1979, Parekh was struck by the scenery, as the evening descend on the holy city. The view profoundly moved him, compelling him to paint the landscape persistently. Since then, he completed a cycle of immense panoramic works on the city, immersed in the structural elements and mapping the city's particular quality of light during its myriad moods of change.

Resembling his memory, the painting depicts the Banaras landscape at twilight. With the sky dimmed, the trees, houses, boats and the domes of the temples become darker giving way to the lights of temples and shrines to glow. The lit interior of the temples with the floral offerings is depicted bursting with vibrant colors in oblation and worship. The moon hung low illuminating the scenery in a silvery light while the sacred river Ganga calmly reflects the night.

Parekh's Banaras offers a holistic view of the eternal city. The dark landscape with its patches of bright colours depicts both quietude and human energy; capturing the potency and breadth of belief that has since ignited the city that has been his muse for the better part of his career.