Nandalal Bose is known to have fervently sketched on postcard sized papers mostly using ink and brush, recording his surroundings. His small sketches vastly vary in detailing, some drawn quickly with just a few lines, others executed with more elaborate characteristics from an analytical perspective. In the above painting, Nandalal employs brush and black colour to study the form and texture of the ornamental flowers- 'Hibiscus' and 'Kadamba'. The artist's use of fluid handling of the line and their strong delineation was the influence of the Far Eastern art practices. Nandalal Bose in his book, 'On Art' says, "Nature is life itself and teeming always with infinite variety; it is in her that the artist always renews his experience and finds an unceasing flow of inspiration." Nandalal's exploration of the different ways of delineating a line allowed him to experiment with it in varying forms adding rhythm, vigour and life to natural forms. The artist had a strong affinity for sketching, his subjects being the surrounding environs, people in their everyday life or anything that he found fascinating. The process enabled him to study newer techniques, explore new mediums and evolve new art practices without being conformed to a particular style. This sketch was signed and dated 'Nanda, 7.57' in Bengali along the right margin of the painting with brush and black colour.
- Identifier
- ngma-09286
- Material
- Watercolour, Postcard
- Note
- Nandalal Bose, popularly known as the Master Moshai, was born on December 3rd, 1882 in Kharagpur, Monghyr District, Bihar. A disciple of Abanindranath Tagore, he graduated from Government School of Art, Calcutta in 1910. Nandalal was fascinated by the potential of folk art and indigenous modes of expression and inculcated them in his works although stylising them in a unique representation for depiction and narration of local life. His explorative temperament with the artistic materials allowed him to create a vast body of work with printmaking techniques as lithography, linoleum prints and Sino- Japanese techniques while remaining faithful to his narrative subject: India's environment and its ethos. Nandalal Bose's art conjures newness unbound but still flushed with the memories of yesterday. Inspired by Far Eastern sensibilities that celebrate the traditional, the genius of his art's lies in the interplay of sensual silhouettes and his powerful rendering of contemporary themes with the traditions, customs and sensibilities of Indian heritage. It is this intermingling that invigorates his works and captures the minds of his viewers. He began his artistic career in the fervour of Swadeshi movement, rejecting western colonial norms of art and taking inspirations from the ancient murals of Ajanta and Bagh caves as well as Mughal miniatures. In 1919, Nandalal Bose accepted Rabindranath Tagore's invitation to become the Principal of the newly established art school Kala Bhavan at Visvabharati University in Santiniketan. He travelled in and out of India including places like Burma, China, Japan, Malaysia, Java and Sri Lanka seeking artistic stimulus from observing different cultural traditions. He also painted a series of posters for the Indian National Congress at Haripura in February 1938. The range of Nandalal's artistic expressions is seen in his various landscapes with human figures, his varied images of nature and the Santiniketan Murals. His works reflect the changing landscape, portraying people and places at a time when modern India's cultural development was at its threshold. Nandalal Bose died on April 16th, 1966 in Santiniketan, West Bengal. He won several accolades including the Padma Vibhushan by the President of India in 1953. He was awarded with an honorary Doctorate in Letters (D. Litt.) from Banaras Hindu University in 1950 and Calcutta University in 1957. The NGMA has over 6800 of his works in his collection.
- Pages
- 8.7 x 13.7 cm
- Published in
- India
- Type
- Painting
