cover image: Head Study

20.500.12592/n27dxt

Head Study

A face in profile lit by some unknown source of light emerging out of the dark is remarkable for its use of light and dark tones. The piercing gaze of the glinting eyes is commonly encountered in Rabindranath's work. Art historian R. Siva Kumar dates this painting to c.1934- 35. He also gives it the descriptive title of 'Face of a Woman in Profile'. The medium is given as 'Coloured ink on paper'.
artwork modern painting
Identifier
ngma-00989
Material
Ink, Paper
Note
Rabindranath Tagore was primarily known as a writer, poet, playwright, philosopher and aesthetician, founder of a unique educational institution, Visva- Bharati, music composer and choreographer. Tagore's emergence as a painter began in 1928 when he was 67 years old. Beginning with scratchings and erasures on the pages of his manuscripts during the mid-20s of the 20th Century, he slowly moved towards drawing and painting independent images. Between 1928 and 1940, Rabindranath painted more than 2000 images. He never gave any title to his paintings. Fed by memories and the subconscious, Rabindranath's art was spontaneous and dramatic. His images did not represent the phenomenal world but an interior reality. Rabindranath veered towards abstraction in his figuration. Expressionism in European art and the primitive art of ancient cultures inspired him. Fantasy, wild imagination and an innate feel for the absurd gave a distinctive character to his visual language. The National Gallery of Modern Art has a representative collection of his imagery.
Pages
16.4 x 22.7 cm
Published in
India
Type
Painting