Foregoing the wash technique propounded by Bengal School, where the elements of form and colour dissolves into a pale atmosphere, Nandalal developed his individualistic style with an emphasis on line with their solidity of the structure. Nandalal employed simple lines drawn with fluid and spontaneous strokes and brought out effectively the true form of the homeless emaciated dog. Sonya Rhie Quintanilla, in the book, 'Rhythms of India: The Art of Nandalal Bose' discusses Nandalal in terms of the transitions he took in his artistic journey, she says, 'As early as 1914 Nandalal was breaking away from the atmospheric wash paintings of the Bengal school and taking a keen interest in line drawing. The artists of Bengal school, led by Abanindranath Tagore, de-emphasized drawing and contour lines, in general, to infuse a sense of spirituality and emotion through the use of colour in their works. Nandalal was revolutionary in asserting the importance of drawing to the artist's practice of grasping the essence and creative rhythm of the subject.' Nandalal explored a wide range of traditions to arrive at his unique visual language and has left behind a large corpus of works in a wide variety of styles, expressions and techniques. He studied the art practices and traditions of India and those of other nations and re-produced them in his environs in Santiniketan. His intent was to understand and assimilate the various artistic elements involved in excelling in his domain and enriched his visual vocabulary. This sketch was signed and dated 'Nando, 15.11.54' in Bengali at the right bottom corner of the painting in brush. The painting also has an inscription that reads, 'Grihoheen' which can be roughly translated in English as 'Homeless' along the lower margin of the painting with brush.
- Identifier
- ngma-09170
- Material
- Pen, Ink, 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
- 14.1 x 8.9 cm
- Published in
- India
- Type
- Painting
