cover image: Early Morning in River Padma

20.500.12592/pj8xps

Early Morning in River Padma

Gaganendranath Tagore's misty landscape shows an open vista across the river Padma. These hazy scenes of the then Bengal were done in the early phase of Gaganendranath's painting career before 1915. It clearly shows the inspiration of wash technique learnt from visiting Japanese artists Taikau and Hishida. It pulsates with mystery and mysticism. The inscription mentions, signed 'G. T.' in English at the bottom left corner of the painting with pen.
artwork modern painting
Identifier
ngma-00335
Material
Wash, Tempera, Paper
Note
Born to the family of Tagore's of Jorasanko, Kolkata, Gaganendranath was the elder brother of Abanindranath Tagore. With little formal training in art Gaganendranath began painting at an advanced age. He was inspired by the calligraphic brushwork and the wash technique of the visiting Japanese artists, Yokoyama Taikan and Hishida Shunsho. In the early 20's of the Twentieth century, Gaganendranath responded positively to the European modernist idiom. He began painting seriously when he started illustrating his uncle Rabindranath Tagore's autobiography in 1911. Gaganendranath like his younger brother Abanindranath and uncle Rabindranath had a wide range of interests that covered theatre, fantasy and the like. He also practiced photography and this can be seen in the use of light and shadows in his paintings. From 1917 onwards he did a series of satirical caricatures of changes taking place in the society of his times. Many of his paintings were referred to as 'cubist' because of the division of the figures and ground into geometrical planes. Gaganendranath painted portraits, landscapes, caricatures, abstract and 'cubist' paintings.
Pages
21.2 x 15.8 cm
Published in
India
Type
Painting