George Keyt (17 April 1901 – 31 July 1993)a Sri Lankan Artist - fascinating companion.

George Keyt

George Keyt (17 April 1901 – 31 July 1993) was a Sri Lankan painter. He is often considered Sri Lanka's most distinguished modern painter. Keyt's dominant style is influenced by cubism. He also claimed to be influenced by his contemporary Henri Matisse and the ancient Buddhist art and sculpture of Nagarjunakonda, Sanchi and Gandhara. The Jataka tales formed a recurring theme in many of his works.
In addition to being a painter, Keyt was a poet. He outlined his perceptions and practice as a painter in a few essays on the vision of the painter. One of his most notable literary works is his translation of the Gita Govinda into English (Bombay, 1940) and Sinhalese. These translations were illustrated by his own line drawings (see Martin Russell collection and Amerasinghe-Ganendra collections).

Biography

Keyt was born in Sri Lanka (Ceylon) and educated at Trinity College (Kandy), an elite colonial school in the British public school tradition. Stemming from Indo-Dutch origins, Keyt gave much time from an early age to drawing and the study of art and developed a consuming passion for books and reading.
The spell of the ancient hill capital and its Buddhist aura soon came to exercise a powerful and lasting influence and was to provide both the literary and artistic stimulus living so close to the Malwatte Vihare. He became greatly drawn towards Buddhism and championed the cause of the Buddhist revival. He wrote profusely in both prose and verse. The young painter also began to turn his back on the values of the westernised milieu of the class into which he was born.
His explorations in Hindu mythology and Indian literature led him to close links with the cultural life of India, where he lived for long and short periods from 1939 right up to the late seventies. To the Sri Lankan Buddhist source were now added the imagery of Hindu myth and legend as key influences.
A meeting with Rabindranath Tagore in the 1930s in Ceylon left a lasting impression.
Keyt was a founder member of the Colombo '43 Group of Sri Lankan artists, and one of its four leading painters, along with Ivan Peries, Justin Daraniyagala and his brother-in-law Harold Peiris. Keyt, Pieris and Lionel Wendt are also known for their efforts to popularise Kandyan dance and other Sri Lankan dance forms.
Many exhibitions of his work have also been held in India, London and other European and American centres. His pictures are found in various museums and galleries abroad, as well as in private collections in Sri Lanka and throughout the world.
Sri Lanka has issued several stamps featuring the paintings of George Keyt.

 Three female figures oil on paper

Three Figures from an Indian Legend

 

Girl with mirror

 oil on canvas

114.5 x 85.5 cm. (45.1 x 33.7 in.)

 

Untitled 

oil on canvas

 

Kandyan Woman and Her Child, 1927

dry pastel on paper

39.4 x 27.3 cm. (15.5 x 10.7 in.) 

 Untitled (House and Tree), 1930

oil on canvas 

72.5 x 54.5 cm. (28.5 x 21.5 in.)

 

UNTITLED (MOTHER AND CHILD), 1932 

oil on canvas 

53.5 x 45.6 cm. (21.1 x 18 in.)

Portrait of Pinnawela Dhirananda, 1932

oil on canvas

 66 x 50.8 cm. (26 x 20 in.)

 

Untitled (Sri Lankan Woman), 1932

 oil on canvas

50.7 x 38 cm. (20 x 15 in.)

  UNTITLED, 1933 

oil on canvas

61 x 92.5 cm. (24 x 36.4 in.)

Musicians, 1938

oil on canvas 

82.5 x 75.5 cm. (32.5 x 29.7 in.)

  

  Untitled, ca. 1920–1939 

oil on canvas

127 x 81.3 cm. (50 x 32 in.)

 

Untitled, 1942 

charcoal

46 x 41 cm. (18.1 x 16.1 in.)

  Nayika III, 1943

oil on canvas

 69.2 x 47.6 cm. (27.2 x 18.7 in.)

Reverie, 1944

oil on canvas  

37 x 29.2 cm. (14.6 x 11.5 in.)

 

 

UNTITLED (MAN, WOMAN AND CHILD), 1946

oil on canvas

114.5 x 85.2 cm. (45.1 x 33.5 in.)

Frauenkopf, 1947

color chalk on paper

27.3 x 20 cm. (10.7 x 7.9 in.)   

 Untitled (Peace), 1950 

oil on canvas 

75 x 113 cm. (29.5 x 44.5 in.)

  Untitled, 1951

oil on canvas

 84 x 102 cm. (33.1 x 40.2 in.)

 

Gopika Vastra Paharana, 1952

oil on canvas

178.4 x 124.4 cm. (70.2 x 49 in.) 

Untitled (House), 1953

oil on board

60.6 x 45.4 cm. (23.9 x 17.9 in.) 

Untitled, 1954

 oil on canvas

70.5 x 70.5 cm. (27.8 x 27.8 in.)

Prema, 1956

 oil on canvas

86.4 x 42 cm. (34 x 16.5 in.)

Untitled (Two Women), 1957 

oil on canvas

80.9 x 71.1 cm. (31.9 x 28 in.)

  Reclining lady, 1958 

oil on panel

53.5 x 65 cm. (21.1 x 25.6 in.)

 UNTITLED (COUPLE GAZING); UNTITLED (COUPLE SITTING), 1960 

ink on paper

48 x 36 cm. (18.9 x 14.2 in.)

Untitled, 1960

watercolor and acrylic on paper

 48.3 x 36.8 cm. (19 x 14.5 in.)

Krishna and the Gopis, 1961

oil on canvas

 107.5 x 100 cm. (42.3 x 39.4 in.)

 

The Mirror, 1962

oil on canvas 

96 x 36.5 cm. (37.8 x 14.4 in.)

 

  Untitled (Reclining lady), 1963

oil on canvas

56 x 96 cm. (22 x 37.8 in.) 

 Untitled, 1964 

oil on canvas 

119.4 x 71.4 cm. (47 x 28.1 in.)

 UNTITLED (SET OF TWO) , 1965

felt tip pen on paper

29.3 x 45.6 cm. (11.5 x 18 in.) 

 

UNTITLED (TWO WOMEN), 1967

oil on canvas 

82.5 x 51.4 cm. (32.5 x 20.2 in.)

 

Mahesha Mardini, 1968

oil on jute canvas

133.3 x 100.3 cm. (52.5 x 39.5 in.) 

 

Girl and cactus, 1969

oil on board  

81 x 39.5 cm. (31.9 x 15.6 in.)

 

 

Untitled (Radha and Krishna), 1970 

oil on canvas

  Untitled, 1971 

oil on canvas

69.9 x 39.4 cm. (27.5 x 15.5 in.)

Nayika, 1972

 oil on canvas

68.4 x 47.5 cm. (26.9 x 18.7 in.)

Untitled, 1973

oil on canvas 

 88.9 x 63.5 cm. (35 x 25 in.)

Untitled, 1974 

acrylic on canvas 

62 x 61.9 cm. (24.4 x 24.4 in.)

 Lover's Meeting, 1976

acrylic on canvas

99.4 x 67.9 cm. (39.1 x 26.7 in.)  

Radha and Krishna, 1978

acrylic on canvas

80 x 129.5 cm. (31.5 x 51 in.) 

Untitled (Lovers), 1979

oil on canvas

 101.6 x 55.9 cm. (40 x 22 in.)

Kumudu with flowers, 1980 

acrylic on canvas

23 x 32.5 in. (58.4 x 82.6 cm.)

 

Harmony, 1981

acrylic on canvas 
110.2 x 73 cm. (43.4 x 28.7 in.)
 

Untitled (The Flute Player), 1982

oil on canvas
77 x 77.5 cm. (30.3 x 30.5 in.) 

 

Maithuna, 1983

oil on canvas
  88.9 x 56.5 cm. (35 x 22.2 in.)

 UNTITLED (TWO WOMEN WITH BIRD), 1986

acrylic on paper

38 x 63.5 cm. (15 x 25 in.) 

 Three Figures from an Indian Legend, 1987
oil on canvasboard
 74 x 75 cm. (29.1 x 29.5 in.)

  Three Friends, 1988 
acrylic on canvas
 71.2 x 116 cm. (28 x 45.7 in.)

 

Untitled (Lovers), 1989

 

Musician, 1992

oil on canvas 

137.2 x 88.9 cm. (54 x 35 in.)