'Festive Season'

The original image, from which this print originates, was done in drypoint, Mukul Chandra Dey's favoured medium. The original drawing is made on a copper plate using a point or needle, and prints made from the plate. While Dey used a European medium he is clearly focused on Indian culture. The subject matter is Indian folk musicians during a festival. They play traditional drums and the flute. The man on the right plays the shankha, conch shell, with a ghungroo on his ankle.

There are formal qualities from traditional Indian art. The facial features of the middle figure are stylised, with lined eyes and arched brows. Strong outlines are also used around the figures. However, influences of Western style are also found. The use of drypoint, with no intricate coloured painting, means that Dey creates a more fluid piece especially in the bodies of the musicians where the figures are more naturalistic in their movement. As we look at the figure on the right we can see the way he interacts with his musical instruments, the muscles in his arm visible from the force used to play the drum and the twist of his ankle.