G D Arul Raj - Waterfall by Banyan Tree

Quick post today with an image by G D Arul Raj of a small waterfall next to a Banyan tree, I like the greens he has used with a hint of blue sky coming through the tree.

It is signed in the bottom left hand corner and I estimate that it was painted in the 1960's. 

From INDIA Paintings by Arul Raj - How to Paint Book

I just remembered that a year or two back I purchased an older how to paint book written by Arul Raj.  The cover price was only $1.00 (the one below shows $2.00) and it was published by a USA firm called Walter T Foster.  I have reproduced the cover below.

In the introduction by Walter Foster he says. "While Gideon D Arul Raj was in the United States I was fortunate to meet him when he had the time to work on his book and I feel he has done a beautiful job of giving us all an understanding of how he works and the step drawings that are so helpful to beginners as well as the professional artist.  Raj lives in the Southern part of India out of Madras and he has caught the feel of the rural part of the country.  India is a fascinating country and I hope to go through there again with a much longer stay and many side trips into the hinterland to sketch and take many more color shots...."


Copies of the book frequently appear on Ebay in the USA and sell for a modest price, the book shows how to paint like Arul and the palette of colors he used.  Unfortunately the book is not dated so I am unsure when it was published as it seems at this time Arul was still living in Madras, India.  I know he later went to the USA and lived in Laguna Beach in California.

G D Paulraj - Break in the Journey

Came across this photo of a G D Paul Raj painting that sold at auction a little while ago.  It seems to show a scene of a family stopping for a break in their journey, maybe they are having a meal.  The cattle seem really big and strong for pulling the cart.

The painting sold on 21 April 2009 at auction by Vanderkindere Auctioneer in Brussels it measures 49 cm x 35.5 cm.  A close up follows of part of the painting.

Two G D Paul Raj Paintings from Denmark - Oxen Ploughing and Hay Carts

While searching Google the other day I came across two paintings by G D Paul Raj that were sold by the auction house Bruun Rasmussen in Denmark if you follow the link you will find details of the auction selling price and enlargements of the paintings.

Both paintings seem different from other by Paul Raj and I was wondering if they might be earlier works before he had developed his skills to their full potential also they seem very washed out.

 I suppose they could have faded over the years or may be he had not settled on his final palette?

G D Paul Raj - Mudali Street

I purchased this painting a few years ago from a person in Queensland, Australia I feel it really captures the mood of a busy street in what was known as Madras maybe?

I think Paul is really able to capture the shape and form of the cows sat at the side of the road.  It is really amazing to think how his paintings have travelled around the world, if only they could tell the story of who bought them and what they were doing in India?

S Pichai Raj - Water carriers

This is a painting by S Pichai Raj that I purchased at the same time as the P B Surendranath already mentioned on my blog it was in a matching frame.  It is not the best painting I have so I reused the frame for one of my Paul Raj paintings instead.  I estimate that it was painted sometime between 1950 and 1960.

The photograph is not very good and the colours are not true but the subject matter is interesting, also attached is a copy of the artist's signature for reference purposes.

I have heard it mentioned that the artist might have gone on to work in the movie industry in India being involved with painted backgrounds.  Anyone come across any other works by him?  There is a reference to someone with the same name working on a movie with the Nazrana in 1961.  He is listed as the Assistant Art Director.

L M Ghose - Blue Boat

While decorating my hall way today I was taking down the painting and came across another L M Ghose I got a few years ago.  It was not in the best of conditions and when it was framed it had to be reduced in size to only show the no faded section of the colour painting.  Unlike the previous one I posted this is done in colour but just shades of blue.

It is probably meant to be a night time scene with moonlight, the signature is behind the mount and very close to the edge.  I had to take the painting apart yo photograph the signature which is paint but looks like it is dated 1913.  Wow this makes it 96 years old.

You can just about make out the signature and the date, I think I prefer the blue to the black one in the last post.

G D Thyagaraj - Bullock Cart Train

I got quite excited when I came home for lunch on Wednesday as the post man had put a card through my letter box saying he had tried to deliver a parcel and I was out.  He had left it with my neighbour across the road.  The only parcel I was expecting was from San Diego in the USA where I had recently purchased my first painting by G D Thyagaraj.  I have tried for a number of years to acquire one of his paintings but had always been out bid.  In the event I got the painting for a reasonable price and the postage from the USA to the UK was $33 or £20.60 at the current exchange rate.  A copy of the painting can be found below along with a close up of his signature.  Regular readers will know I am keen to ensure his signature is correctly read in future.

The photograph colours are not quite right but the painting is in very good condition with no inscriptions on the reverse.  It depicts a bullock cart convoy on a dusty road, however there are no clues as to a name for the painting or of its age as it was not in a frame when I received it.  I also found a reference a the Christie's Auction site to Thyaga being born in 1930 at Kodiakanal, this will make him the youngest of the three brothers.  This is the first time I have found any mention of the year of his birth or place of birth.  See the Christie's link.

I found a reference to Thyagaraj on another blog tonight of an Indian painter based in Mumbai called Sattar S. Shaik you can see his paintings at his blog they are of realistic Indian village scenes and apparently he was inspired by Thyaga's paintings when he was a boy.  His work is very interesting and worth a look.  Hope you like this latest painting.

L M GHOSE - Boat Scene

Today I have taken a photograph of an L M Ghose boat scene, they frequently appear on Ebay, sometimes like this one in black and white charcoal or is it called Goauche?  I have seem them dated between 1910 and 1920.  SO maybe they were sold to the tourists visiting India at that time?

I have come across one painting in colour that had the signature Lal Mabon Ghose the style was the same but the name was spelt out in full so thought it might have been the same artist.  Does anyone known of him or where in Indian such a name may be common, I wondered if it might be Bengal way?

Hope some one might have some information on this artist?

P B Surendranath - Market Scene

Today I have taken a photograph of a painting I acquired several years ago of a market scene which I liked.  I stumbled upon it while searching for Paul Raj paintings and I thought the style was similar so bought it.

It was only later did I find out that Surendranath studied at the Government College of Arts and Crafts in Madras which is where Paul Raj studied some years earlier this might explain the similarity of their works.  I understand that he went onto work at the college as well.  An article can be found in the Hindu newspaper at the following link.

G D Arul Raj - Fishing Boats

Saw this painting in the USA but did not manage to buy it.  It appears to be fishing boats at dusk by Arul Raj.  

Simple but effective along with a copy of his signature.

G D Thyagaraj - 3rd Brother

I am led to believe that there were three brothers.  Paul, Arul and Thyaga all with the first initials G D which might be their father's initials.  I think that the father's name might have been Gideon Devapriam Raj.  Grateful if anyone can confirm this?

Today I am adding a water colour by Thyaga and a copy of his signature from the same painting.  I have noticed over the last few years that his signature is always read as M D  instead of G D.  If you look closely I think you will agree that the first initial is a G and not a M.

G D Paulraj - Photograph

Just a quick short post today as we are meant to be having fireworks and a bonfire soon but it is raining so could get cancelled.  I have attached a photograph from a newspaper article about Paul Raj that I was given by a retired art teacher and painter from India.  I understand that it was from May 1979 so he would be aged around 65 years old.

Pankajam Paulraj (Mrs)- Four Water carriers

A few years ago while trying to research Paul Raj I can across an obituary notice of a Mrs Pankajam Paulraj in the online edition of the Hindu.  It says that she was the wife of the late G D Paulraj Artist and that she died at her home in Chennai on 23 June 2002.

This clearly states that she died after her husband, I do not know when Paul might have died and would be interested in information from anyone who might know or have a newspaper cutting with details. I do know that he was alive in 1979 as I have been given a newspaper article from that year.  You can view the obituary at the following link.  http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/2002/06/24/16hdline.htm

Earlier this year I came across a water colour signed by Pankajam and until that time I had not know that she was an artist in her own right.  My wife loves this painting and has it hanging in the bedroom.  I could not afford the postage of the painting framed from the USA to the UK so I had to get it shipped unframed.  We have since had it framed on arrival in the UK.  The style is quite different from that of her husbands, hope you like it.  It anyone has any photos of other works by her I would love to see them.  A copy of her painting follows along with a close up of her signature.

G D Paul Raj - Working in the paddy fields

I acquired this painting earlier this year from the USA and it is in good condition considering it must be in the region of 50 years old.

I recently made contact with an Indian gentleman called S Bala Chandran who actually met Paul Raj back in the 1950s he is currently painting again after he retired.  His site can be found at: http://www.sb-artgallery.in/

G D Arul Raj - Gold Moher in the Evening Light

This is a painting by the brother of Paul Raj called 'Gold Moher' which is a bright Indian tree.  I understand that that Arul is the younger brother of Paul and was probably born on 
2 August 1925 in Kodiakanal, Southern India.

After the second World War he went to the USA and settled in California in Los Angeles and sold his paintings there.  I understand that he is called a Listed Artist.  I think he then died in 1972.  He studied like his older brother at the Madras School of Art.

I have  attached a photograph of the rear of the painting which shows the hand writing of Arul Raj with the name of the painting.  "Gold Moher in the Evening Light".

G D Paul Raj Painting - The Water carriers - My First Painting

My wife found my first Paulraj painting on Ebay and it was wrongly described as being an oil painting and unsigned.  We contacted the seller for more information and he was not very helpful as he did not bother replying we had wanted to check it was an oil painting as the photograph looked like a water colour.

Anyway the painting had reminded my wife of my mother's Paulraj painting due to the way he captured the sunlight on the street scene.  She bid on the painting and got it for a good price.  It is just a shame that he never dated his paintings as I cannot tell if it is an early one or from later in his life.  My best guess is it is an earlier painting.