This rare 1956 composition captures G.R. Santosh at a pivotal moment — just before his transformation into a leading voice of Indian modernist Tantra. Here, he turns his gaze toward everyday Kashmiri life, rendering two tradesmen in a bold, angular style influenced by Cubism and Expressionism.

Marked by rhythmic contours, textured surfaces, and faceless yet animated figures, the work channels Santosh’s search for the spiritual through the material. The palette-knife technique and stylized flattening echo European modernism while remaining rooted in the artist’s native landscape and lived experience.

Such early figurative works are exceedingly rare, as Santosh soon pivoted fully to abstraction. This piece stands as a unique testament to his transitional phase — where form, identity, and expression converge.

For collectors, this is more than a historic precursor. It is a landmark in post-independence Indian art, offering a vital glimpse into the evolution of a visionary modernist at the cusp of reinvention.