This is a modern painting that depicts a fairy in the moonlight. It is created by Gaganendranath Tagore using ink and wash on paper. Gaganendranath had always been captivated by the dramatic play of light and shade. In the post-cubist period of his work the predominant use of shadows helped to create an atmosphere of fantasy and fairy-tale. Art historian Ratan Parimoo dates this style of painting as being done between 1925-29. The painting shows a square seal containing red footprints in the bottom right corner. This seal was used by Gaganendranath often along with his signature.
- Identifier
- ngma-02170
- Material
- Ink, Wash, 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
- 12.7 X 20.1 cm
- Published in
- India
- Type
- Painting
