Unit-3

The Bengal School of Painting and The Modern Trends in

Indian Art

(About the beginning to mid of the 20th Century )

I. National Flag of India and the Symbolic significance of its forms and the
colours.
II. Introduction to the Bengal School of Painting
III. Origin, Development of the Bengal School of Painting
IV. Main Features of the Bengal School of Painting

Unofficial Flag of India in 1906

The first National Flag in India is said to have been hoisted on August 7, 1906 in the Parsee Bagan
Square (Green Park) in Calcutta now Kolkata. The flag was composed of three horizontal strips of
red,yellow and green.
Unofficial Adopted in 1921

During the session of the All-India Congress Committee which met at Bezwada in 1921 (now
Vijayawada) an Andhra youth prepared a flag and took it to Gandhiji. It was made up of two colours-
red and green-representing the two major communities, Hindus, and Muslims. Gandhiji suggested
the addition of a white strip to represent the remaining communities of India and the spinning wheel
to symbolize progress of the Nation.

Present Tricolour Flag of India

On July 22, 1947, the Constituent Assembly adopted it as the national flag of independent India.
After the advent of independence, colours and their significance remained the same. The top band of
Saffron colour, indicated the strength and courage of the country. The White middle band indicated
peace and truth with Dharma Chakra. The last band is green in colour showed the fertility, growth,
and auspiciousness of the land.

THE EVOLUTION OF INDIAN NATIONAL FLAG

NAME: EVOLUTION OF INDIAN NATIONAL FLAG

ARITST : Unknown
MEDIUM : Coloured Cloth
PERIOD: 1906-1921-1947 A.D.
COURTESY: Ministry of Imformation and Broadcasting, Govt. of India

HISTORY OF INDIAN NATIONAL FLAG

The Indian National Flag symbolises national pride and is one of the most respected national
symbols. The Indian National Flag represents India's long struggle for freedom. The late
Prime Minister 'Jawaharlal Nehru' had called it "not only a flag of freedom for ourselves but a
symbol of freedom for all Indians". Many people, including the Indian Armed Forces, have
lost their lives to hoist the national flag flying in its full glory. It was discovered or identified
during our national struggle for independence. The development of the Indian national flag
went through many ups and downs to arrive at what it is today. In a way it reflects the
political development in the nation. As per the Indian laws, the national flag is to be made up
of khadi. Initially, except on national days like Republic Day and Independence Day, the use
of the Indian flag by private citizens was prohibited. The national flag is popularly known as
Tiranga, which means "three colours" or "Tricoloured". It is a horizontal tricolour in equal
proportion of deep saffron at the top, white in the middle and green at the bottom. The ratio
of the width to the length of the National flag is 2: 3. At the centre of the white band is a
wheel with 24 spokes in navy blue colour that indicates the Dharma Chakra (Wheel of Law).
Evolution of Indian national flag First 1906, Middle 1921 and, final 1947 : The first national flag of
India was unofficial and was hoisted in 1906. Later, five designs of India's national flag were
changed. The current Indian national flag has three colours: saffron, white, and green, and it
comprises Ashoka chakra in the middle of the flag.
A. The first National Flag of India was hoisted on August 7, 1906 : India's first Indian national flag
was held on August 7, 1906 at Parsi Bagan Square (Green Park) Calcutta. Sachindra Nath
Bose and Sukumar design the layout of the first national flag for our country. The flag is composed
of three identical horizontal stripes of green, yellow and red. The top green strip, shown eight white
lotuses in a row, represented the eight states of the time. The yellow strip in the middle has
"VandeMataram" written in a dark blue Hindi. The lowest red strip had a white crescent moon, with
the sun marked white on the right and the sun white on the left. India's first national flag was hoisted
on August 7, 1906 at Green Park in Calcutta with the gracious hands of the great social reformer and
freedom fighter, Shri Sunendranath Banerjee.

Middle National Flag-1921 (Central National Flag-1921) : The second national flag came out in the
tricolour under the guidance of Mahatma Gandhi during the All-India Congress Party meeting in
Vijayawada. A young CongressmanPingali Venkayya designed the current Indian national flag from
Masulipatnam in 1921 and handed over to Gandhiji two colourful flags of red and green representing
the two measurable communities of the country, Hindu, and Muslim. Gandhiji suggested adding a
white stripe as a symbol of the rest of the Indian communities and putting a deep blue charkha at its
centre as a symbol of progress.

Final National Flag-1947 : On July 22, 1947, On July 22, 1947, The national flag of independent India
with some improvement in the central national flag by the Constituent Assembly. This tricolour flag
took a new shape, with saffron at the top, white in the middle and green in equal proportions at the
bottom. The 'Dharma Chakra' of Sarnath Lion Capital has been kept in Navy Blue instead of 'Charkha'.
The ratio of its length and width is 3:2 and the diameter of the Charkha is approximately equal to the
width of the white strip of the middle. There are 24 spokes of the cycle that represent the 24 hours
of the day.

The significances of the colours are as follows :

Saffron: Courage and sacrifice. (Indian saffron is for courage and sacrifice. It is the common and
religiously important colour of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism. The saffron colour
indicates the rejection of the arrogance of people belonging to different religions and unites them to
become one).

White : Truth and peace. (White is for truth, Peace, honesty, and purity. It also represents
cleanliness and knowledge. It lightens the path of truth to guide the nation).

Green : Faith and chivalry. (Green is for faith and chivalry. It also represents the fertility, life,
happiness, and prosperity of the nation. This indicates lush green fields across India).

Ashoka-Wheel : Work for 24 hours. However, Dharma Charkha of Emperor Asoka was adopted in
place of the spinning wheel as the emblem on the flag. It depicted the "wheel of the law" in the
Sarnath Lion Capital made by the 3rd-century BC Mauryan Emperor Ashoka. The Chakra intends to
show that there is life in movement and death in stagnation.

Navy Blue : (Dharma Chakra)-Secularism, Trust, and Truthfulness.(The colour of the Ashoka Chakra in
the centre of the white strip represents the colour of the sky and sea).

Origin, Development of The Bengal School of Painting

Origin and Development: The Bengal School is considered as an influential art movement
that originated in Bengal, mainly Kolkata and Santi Niketan, and flourished all over India during the
British Raj in the early 20th century and was known as the Indian style of Painting. With the fall of
the Mughal Empire and the beginning of British colonial rule, Indian painting was almost finished.
Meanwhile the British established art schools in Bombay, Madras (1850) and Calcutta (1854) and
succeeded in convincing educated Indians by systematic propaganda that Indians had no cultural
heritage of their own. During the British Raj, the traditional Indian approach towards painting had
lost its identity.

At this juncture of our identity crisis came some very talented artists who tried to give direction to
the art movement of the country and instilled confidence in the traditional values and rich heritage
of Indian art and made Indians aware of this fact. But the credit for bringing a new style of painting
to India goes to European artists Mr. E.B. Havel and Raja Ravi Varma. Mr. E.B. Havel was principal of
the Madras School of Art from 1884 to 1896 and then transferred to the Government College of Art,
Calcutta, from 1896 to 1905. He was not in favour of the tradition of copying: European Art. where
he encouraged students to imitate Ajanta, Bagh, Ellora, the Rajput and the Mughal miniatures. He
appreciated the values of Indian art. Mr. Havell drew the world's attention to the great Indian artistic
traditions through his three books

"Indian Sculpture and Painting", "Indian Architecture" and "Ideal of Indian Art". He encouraged and
inspired Abanindranath Tagore in Calcutta, who was one of the leading artists of that period, to study
the techniques used in Mughal, Rajput Pahari, and Ajanta paintings to create a new style. After that
Abanindranath made a series of Radha Krishna paintings. Although he was never a formal student of
Havell, he considered Havell his mentor and valued Havell's contribution to the Indian art scene.
Abanindranath once said, 'Havel shaped my vision.

Abanindranath Tagore learned the technique of water colour from two Japanese artists and
combined the European water colour technique to create a new technique known as the "Wash
Technique" which become the Hallmark of Bengal Paintings. E.B. Havel asked him to join as vice-
principal of Government Art College, Calcutta. He designed a curriculum to incorporate and
encourage techniques and disciplines in Indian art traditions. Raja Ravi Varma, Gaganendranath
Tagore, Abanindranath Tagore (the nephew of Rabindranath Tagore), Nandalal Bose and Jamini Roy
and E. B. Havel, A group of artists from Bengal gave birth to a new painting style based on old Indian
traditional paintings of Ajanta, Bagh, Rajput, and Mughal art. He created a new renaissance under
the guidance and leadership of Abanindranath Tagore. During this period all kinds of paintings,
religious, social, and historical events, birds, animals, and landscapes were painted in this style. Soon,
artists like Raja Ravi Varma also started popularising western techniques of realism and oil on canvas.
He mastered the style of academic realism and used it to portray scenes like Ramayana and
Mahabharata. They became so popular that they were copied as oleographs and sold in the market.
The Bengal School is also known as the Revival School. Behind this school was the vision of an
independent India that would derive its strength from the rich cultural and historical heritage. The
Bengal School of Painting brought about a renaissance in Indian art. This renaissance of Indian art
spread to every corner of the country. Among the eminent disciples of Abanindranath were Nanda
Lal Bose, D.P. Roy Chowdhury, K. Venkatappa, Asit Kumar Halder, M.A.R. Chughtai, Shailendranath
Dey and Sharda Charan Ukil who gave new heights to Indian art with their techniques. E.V. Havel and
DR. Anand Kumar Swami brought Abanindra Nath fame by arranged several exhibitions of their
paintings from India in other countries, After the establishment of the Archaeological Survey of India
in 1902, the beauty of Indian art spread all over the world. His main students Nanda Lal Bose, AK
Halder, K. Venkatappa, Suren Ganguly, DPR Chaudhuri etc. who showcased their paintings on the
international stage and enhanced the prestige of Indian art.

In 1907 with the joint efforts of E.B. Havel, Abanindranath Tagore, his brother Gaganemdranath
Tagore, and many others, "Indian Society of Oriental Arts" was established with the aim of
encouraging traditional Indian art with the help of progressive artists. There were 30 Englishmen.
And this organization has five Indians and director Lord Kitchener. At that time, Lady Heringham
came to India, and Ajanta's paintings was

copied by Nand Bose, Asit Kunar Haldar and l Venkatappa. she also published it in the India Society,
London. The influence of Ajanta and Bagh is clearly visible in the Bengal School of Paintings. Painters
from Bengal have succeeded in introducing Ajanta's linear delicacy, rhythm, and grace in their
paintings. Special art centers were opened in Bombay, Madras.

The Main Features of Bengal School of Painting :

1. Based on Indian Traditions : The paintings based on Indian theme like 'Mahakali, 'Shiva
Parvati' 'Krishna and Gopis' etc.

Event from Ramayana, Mahabharata, Buddha etc.

2.Influence of Ajanta Paintings: The Bengal school is influenced by Ajanta art. Qualities of Ajanta art
such as rhythm, grace, harmony etc. are visible in the Bengal school.

3.Linear Delicacy : The lines of Bengal School resemble the Ajanta Paintings. Lines are delicate,
graceful, and rhythmic.

4. Softness and Rhythm in Figures: Bengal school figures give a soft effect and there is no rigidity.
They are beautiful and have delicacy. They are rhythmic and provide a pleasant experience to the
eyes.

5.Beautiful Colour Scheme : The colour scheme of Bengal School is very attractive. Wash technique
is used and bright and gaudy colours are not used.

6.Influence of Mughal and Rajasthani Schools : Mughal and Rajasthani Schools 'influence can also
be seen at some places.

7.Landscape Paintings: landscapes.

8.Depiction of Birds and Animals.

9.Light and Shade : The softness in the paintings of Bengal School is due to its quality of brilliant light
and shade.

10.Impressive and Indian Subject Matter : The subject matter of Bengal School is very impressive
and Indian in character. Themes used are historical, religious, literary etc.

11.Patriotic Theme : Bharat Mata by Abanindranath Tagore, Bharat Mata made by Amrita Shergill,
etc.

12.Social Theme : This school has an abundance of social and daily life pictures. beggar, soil farming
by Nandalal Bose, Santhal.
 Contribution of Indian Artists in the Struggle for
National Independence Movement:

With the establishment of British rule in 1857, the classical Indian art of Rajasthani, Pahari
and Mughal miniatures faded away. Western art was taught in western style in the art
schools of Mumbai, Madras, Kolkata, Lahore established by the British. The British artist
propagated that there is no meaningful traditional fine art in India and Indians are unable to
learn it. To encourage the national independence movement, Bengal school exponents
chose classics, mythology, and Indian history for their paintings. They did their best to
establish the superiority of Western art and culture over Indians. In such a situation, famous
painters like Raja Ravi Varma, Abanindranath Tagore, Nandlal Bose, Asit Kumar Haldar and
Mar Chughtai came forward with their masterpieces to establish the purity of Indian art in
place of lifeless western painting. This effort created a wave of patriotism among Indians and
re-established forgotten Indian cultural values. The Bengal School artist Shri Nand Lal Bose
painted national leaders and the Swarajya movement. He also decorated Congress pandals
like Haripura pandals. The great artist gave a tremendous moral boost to Indian National
Movement. Therefore, the Bengal School is also known as the Renaissance School. The
Indian Society of Oriental Art was founded in 1907 by renowned people and art lovers of
Bengal. Abanindranath painted a picture of 'Bharat Mata' The painting was created during
the Swadeshi movement. which was appreciated everywhere as patriotic art. This way the
Indian artist contributed greatly to national independence movement. In addition, some
national leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru also used traditional Indian
art to awaken the spirit of patriotism. In this way, the Indian artist contributed to the
national independence movement.There are many artist contributions to Indian art in the history
of art, here are some of them.

Abanindranath's Bharat Mata

Abanindranath Tagore painted "Bharat Mata" in 1906 to depict the human portrayal of the nation,
responding to growing indigenous sentiments in the form of 'Bharat Mata' painting. The painting was
earlier named Bangamata (Mother Bengal), but later changed its name to Bharat Mata (Mothe
India). It helped create a nationalist sentiment among citizens during the struggle for independence.
The painting became so relatable that it encouraged Indians to participate in the Swadeshi
movement. The painting shows India as a 'Hindu goddess', a saffron-clad in a plain saffron saree
draped in the Bengali style divinewoman. She spreads immense beauty. Here, she does not look like
a goddess, but a simple

Bharat Mata by ABANINDRANATH TAGORE

traditional Indian woman. "Bharat Mata", who has four arms and the halo around his head that gives
her a divine look, along a palm leaf* manuscript, a paddy stick, a piece of white cloth and a
Rudraksha mala (garland) in her four hands. Rudraksha Mala is strongly associated with Shaiva
dharma and is also known as pearl of salvation. Thus, it represents the spiritual power of the nation.
While white may be a symbol of peace, it can also represent cotton, which has always been an
important contributor to India's economy. Palm manuscripts are Vedas which are the source of all
knowledge and reflect the strong educational background of the country. In this painting, Mother
India is depicted as an ascetic person, she is calm, composed, divine and spiritual. She symbolised
power and represented motherland. As can be seen from the history of our country, almost every
dynasty, be it Rajput kings or Marathas, Vansh Devi was worshiped by the kings before leading their

army in the battlefield. It was believed that the blessings of the goddess would lead them to victory.
Therefore, it can be said that this belief also inspired the creation of Bharat Mata. This iconic image
of Bharat Mata was reprinted in posters and banners of thousands of protesters across Bengal.
Abanindranath's Bharat Mata was some extent the originator of Roti-kapda-makaan (food, cloth,
shelter), the idea proved so powerful that by 1909, exactly four years after Abanindranath Tagore
portrayed Bharat Mata, his work had spread across India. The painting was the first illustrated
depiction of the concept and was painted with Swadesh ideals during the larger Indian independence
movement.

Raja Ravi Varma was an Indian painter also known as the 'Father of Modern Indian
Art'. A famous painting of his Family of Beggars' represents the lower state of the Indian economy.
He displayed all the major realities well. And so, as an artist's contribution to Indian art, Raja Ravi
Varma played an important role.

Amrita Shergil : Amrita Shergill was Hungarian-Indian painter. She is said to be "one of the
greatest avant-garde female artists in the early 20th century" and a pioneer in modern Indian art.
She is one of the most famous Indian female artists. She is known for her works on the South Indian
trilogy, which play with bold and vibrant colours unlike the style prevalent in India at the time. In her
words his main aim was "I realised my real artistic mission, to pictorially interpret the lives of Indians
and especially poor Indians.

Bharat Mata by AMRITA SHERGIL

She also painted the version of "Bharat Mata" with another theme. She portrayed a farmer woman
with her children, a son, and a daughter. It shows the poverty of rural India. Amrita Shergill was
greatly influenced by realism. Shergill attempted to portray the lives of people bring in her local
community, " Mother India" allows us to observe her different attitude towards her paintings made
in India and Europe:*

Nand Lal Bose : Nand Lal Bose is the father of modern Indian at who added patriotic feelings to
his art. Nand Lal Bose made a black-and-white portrait of Gandhi
walking with an employee and wrote on it, "Bapuji, 1930. On March 12, 1930, Mahatma Gandhi and
78 of his close associates began

a march from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi, walking 10 miles daily for 24 days on the way. The march
was in protest the prohibitively expensive salt tax imposed by the British and unfair laws preventing
Indians from producing their own salt. The Dandi March is now celebrated in history books as a

by NAND LAL BOSE

symbol of non-violent protest. It was a poignant portrait by a master of the Bengal Renaissance that
took Gandhi's act of quiet valour to the people. Nandalal Bose also decorated Congress pandals at
many places, decorated, pillars, and gates, etc. in the pandals for the Haripur Congress Adhiveshan.
However, Haripur posters have the biggest contribution to the world of Indian art. For themes he
selected the life of common people of Bengal and their working condition during the British rule.
Asit Kumar Halder was an Indian painter of the Bengal School and an assistant to Rabindranath
Tagore at Santiniketan. He was one of the leading artists of the Bengal Renaissance.

Gagnindernath Thakur : In 1907, famous people and art lovers of Bengal along with his
brother Abindranath, founded the Indian Society of Oriental Art Society, which organized art
exhibitions every year. He made a caricature on the Jilian Wala Bagh massacre "Declaration of
Peace in Punjab", highlighting the brutal naked, cruel acts and hatred of Indians towards the British.
Painters and sculptors contributed greatly to national independence because their paintings spoke
much more than long speeches. They prevented Western influence on Indian arts to preserve Indian
culture, which became the resistance that propelled him towards nationalism. Tagore blended Indian
and Western culture to spread to the world about our situation. It united people and ideas were
sought from different countries.
NAME : TILLER OF THE SOIL

ARTIST : Nand Lal Bose

PERIOD: 1938 A.D.

MEDIUM: Water Colour (Tempera) on Paper

COURTESY : National Gallery of Modern Art, New Dehli

Subject Matter : It is one of the panels made by Nandalal Bose in 1938, "Haripura Congress
Sammelan" In this panel, a farmer is shown tilling the farm, the daily activity of a common man in a
village.

Human Life Values : Dignity of farmer, respect for farmers' hard work.

Description/Compositional Arrangement : Mahatma Gandhi invited Nandalal Bose to paint the

panels displayed at the Congress session in Haripura in 1937. Famously called 'Haripura Poster'. He
Painted the common rural people of Bengal engaged in various activities on their daily lives during
the British rule, musicians playing drums, a farmer playing ploughs, a woman churning milk, etc. He
was portrayed as contributing his labour to nation building. These posters matched Gandhi's socialist
vision of involving the marginalised section of Indian society through art. The illustration is painted
with earthen brown, indigo and white against a background of light ochre. As mentioned in the
inscription, 'Nanda' is signed in Bengali on the left edge of the poster. It also holds the artist's
personal seal in red below the signature. The themes of these decorative posters were related to
religious episodes of Indian culture scenes of musicians, athletes, cobblers, farmers, villages, crafts,
nymphs, animals, and other decorative motifs. Bose made pen and, ink brush studies of local
villagers. He used thick, bold, and, broad brushwork.

He applied techniques borrowed from Kalighat Pat painting and India's rich folk arts and craft
traditions. In this soil poster tiller, a farmer is shown indulging in tilling his field with a wooden
plough driven by a pair of white well decorated oxen with clothes and ornaments. The farmer is
semi-naked and wearing a folded dhoti and, white turban on his head. He is also holding a stick in his
right hand. The ploughed field is shown by three curved lines. The background of the poster has an
arch. This poster represents Indian life and culture. The tempera colours on the paper make the
whole composition very easily. It is now in the collection of the National Gallery of Modern Art.
JOURNEY’S END
ABOUT THE ARTIST: "Abanindranath Tagore" was born on May 7, 1871 in Jorasanka city of
Bengal. Since he grew up in the famous Tagore family, art and literature were always a part of his
childhood. He left the Sanskrit College, where he had been studying for the last nine years, and
joined St. Xavier's College and studied English for a year and a half. He then joined the famous
Calcutta School of Art in the year 1890. There he was trained by European artists, O. Ghilardi, and
Charles Palmer. He gained a deep knowledge of various techniques on pastel, water colour, oil
painting, including techniques used in European paintings.

Abanindranath Tagore was one of the most prominent artists of India. He was the first major
supporter of swadeshi values in Indian art. Abanindranath first created the 'Indian Society of Oriental
Art' and later founded the Bengal School of Art. His idea of modernizing Mughal and Rajput paintings
eventually gave rise to modern Indian painting, which took birth in his Bengal School of Art.
Abanindranath is also considered a skilled writer. Most of his literary works were for children.
Tagore's work was so successful that it was accepted and promoted as a national Indian style within
British art institutions.

NAME: JOURNEY'S END

ARTIST : Abanindranath Tagore

PERIOD: 1937 A.D. Bengal School

MEDIUM: Water Colour on Paper

 TECHNIQUE: Tempera and Wash

COURTESY : National Gallery of Modern Art, New Dehli

Subject Matter : The painting "journey's End" belongs to Bengal school of art. The entire painting
focuses on a half-collapsed camel buried under the burden. It is a very meaningful painting.

Human Life Values : Do not be inhuman and cruel to animals, Animal loyalty to the owner.
Description/Compositional Arrangement : Abanindranath Tagore's famous painting title
'Journey's End' matches the theme of the painting. Abanindranath Tagore was the creator of the
Bengal School of Painting. He was a prominent artist of India during his time. The pain and suffering
of a dumb animal due to the burden in the half-open eye of the animals can be clearly seen. The
medium used in this painting is red, brown, and slightly yellow, orange, water colour (tempera),
which affects the background and sun setting by the 'wash technique' and the sky is filled with sunset
light. The foreground is depicted in a dark tone of monochrome colours. In this painting, he shows a
tired falling camel with an overload tied on its body. Where he gets very tired after a long journey, a
stuffed camel is about to die and fall to rocky ground. Tagore's remarkable work in the painting, a
blend of technique with concentration of emotions and a gloomy colour combination, defused light
background to create a foggy and mystic look. The camel's posture indicates as if everything is
finished. While its four legs are bent and the head and necked knees are in the sand and the Hind
legs are straight. The camel's facial expressions are tremendous. The artist is showing a reflection of
human life through this composition. The pathetic scene disturbs the human heart. The heavy
burden on the camel's back shows the master's greed in exploiting the slave till his last breath. His
life journey is about to end with the end of the day. His facial expressions justify the theme of the
painting. The entire composition is well balanced and rhythmic. Abanindranath Tagore was greatly
inspired by the Mughal miniature traditions and the Japanese wash technique. 'Journey's End', one
of the masterpieces of Abanindranath.

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ABOUT THE ARTIST: "Nand Lal Bose" was born on 3 December 1882 in a middle-class Bengali
family at Haveli Kharagpur, Bihar state. where his parents lived. He studied in various schools in
Dwarbhanga, and Kolkata. Nand Lal was interested in painting and sculpture since childhood. His
parents understood this and admitted him to an art school in Kolkata where he became a disciple of
Abanindranath Tagore. Soon Nand Lal became Abanindranath's most favourite follower. Nandlal
earned some name during his apprenticeship and became popular all over India like Jagai-Madhai
and Sati. After passing out from art school, Nanda Lal joined the 'Indian Society of Oriental Art' under
the guidance of Abanindranath Tagore in Jodashanko, where he worked for three years. Bose was
awarded of Rs 500 by 'Indian Society of Oriental Art' for his painting Shiva-Sati of Bengal School in
1908 and decided to visit the historical sites of India with that money and see for himself the artistic
achievements of the great Indian civilization. Nanda Lal Bose was deeply influenced by the murals of
the Ajanta Caves. He led a team of artists to imitate murals at Ajanta, organised by British artist and
copyist Lady Harringham in 1909. A disciple of Abanindranath Tagore, Bose was known for his
"Indian style" paintings. He graduated from Government School of Art, Calcutta in 1910. He became
the Principal of Kala Bhavan, Santiniketan in 1922 Nand Lal Bose is the father of modern Indian art
who added patriotic feelings to his art. Nand Lal Bose made a black-and-white portrait of Gandhi
walking with an employee and wrote on it, "Bapuji, 1930. Nandalal Bose also decorated Congress
pandals at many places, decorated, pillars, and gates, etc. in the pandals for the Haripur Congress
Adhiveshan. However, Haripur posters have the biggest contribution to the world of Indian art. For
themes he selected the life of common people of Bengal and their working condition during the
British rule.

NAME: SHIVA and SATI

ARTIST: Nand Lal Bose

PERIOD: 1908 (Bengal School/Modern)

MEDIUM: Water Colour on Paper

TECHNIQUE: Tempera and Wash

 COURTESY: National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi

Subject Matter : It depicts a mythological incident of “Lord Shiva and Sati” his wife (Parvati) with
wash technique. Sati has sacrificed her life for the self-respect of her husband Shiva. Sati's father
Daksha, who was against their marriage, abused Shiva at a great party (yagna). So, Sati ended her life
through her inner powers by burning her body through fire. So, in this painting, Shiva holds Sati in his
arms. He is in a sitting pose. It is one of the best paintings of Nanda Lal Bose.

Human Life Values : Self-respect and dignity

Description/Compositional Arrangement : Shiva and Sati is a beautiful vertical painting by Nand Lal
Bose. It shows a mythological event of Lord Shiva and his wife Sati. This is a dramatic depiction on
offset paper using monochromatic colour scheme yellow, brown, violet, red colours in various shades
and tones. In the background of the picture, the light and dark combination of brown and yellow
colours have been used to show the sky which goes to merge with earth's surface looking undulating
shape through violet, brown and pale colours. In the centre of the picture, depicts Sati in the arms of
lord shiva and he have been depicted prominently in the painful mood.

Shiva is helplessly looking at Sati's faded face and supporting Sati's body by spreading both arms
wearing ornaments like necklaces, earrings, armlets, bracelets, and light red sarees on her left knee
in an unconscious state. A yellow halo is shown behind Shiva's head. The background depicts shades
of lemon yellow, chrome yellow and brown that give depth to the main figures. The colours of light in
white are painted both figures on the forehead and, also on shiva's body. And his hair is tied in a bun
above. He is wearing a necklace and snake around his neck. Lord Shiva's torso looks a little heavy. It is
a monochromatic composition inspired by Ajanta art. The foreground of the painting looks like a
blurred vision.

ABOUT THE ARTIST :

"Kshitindranath Majumdar" (1891- 1975), born in Jagtai village "kshitindranath

Majumdar", was a painter of very high quality. His paintings were mainly based on the theme of
stories of Radha-Krishna, Sri Chaitanya, and Puranas. His fame as an artist spread not only in India
but also in other countries of the world. He was famous for his portrayal of mythological and
religious themes. Kshitindranath became a student of Abanindranath Tagore in 1909 when he
founded the Indian Society for Oriental Art. Kshitindra was part of this revolutionary movement and
immersed himself in perfecting the colour wash technique - the trademark of the Bengal School.
shitindranath took up teaching responsibilities at the Society with Nandalal Bose and his work has
been honoured at national and international forums, including exhibitions at the Grand Palais, Paris;

Traveling Exhibition at Crystal Palace, London and Holland, Belgium, and USA etc. The pure and
spiritual expression of his paintings was highly praised by the European scholar Lady Herringham.
kshitindranath Majumdar is often referred to as a saint-artist who considered art to be a form of
devotion. Following the delicate, romantic style of Abanindranath Tagore, Majumdar invented
clothes and costume for his paintings along with murals of Ajanta and Rajput paintings. He was the
art teacher and principal of the school at the Society of Oriental Arts, Calcutta for 18 years and then
he went to Allahabad University as chairman of the Department of Arts in 1942. There he taught
until his retirement in 1964.

NAME: RAS-LILA

ARTIST : Kshitindranath Majumdar

SCHOOL: Bengal School

SIZE : 14" × 9.4"

 PERIOD: 1926 A.D.

MEDIUM: Water Colour on Paper

TECHNIQUE: Tempera and Wash

COURTESY: National Gallery of Modern Art, New Dehli

Subject Matter : The theme of Ras-Lila is derived from the Bhagavata Purana in which the dance of
Krishna and Gopi is called "Maharas" and symbolically indicates the dance of God and soul. The
subject matter is justified. It is really a very beautiful and attractive wash miniature.

Human Life Values : Deep love, devotion, and faith in Supreme Power.

Description/Compositional Arrangement: Ras-Lila is a wash technique portraying the divine life of Sri
Krishna made by Kshitindranath Majumdar in 1926.It is a vertical beautiful creation. this painting
depicts Krishna dancing with Gopis under trees in full of rugged, trunk Laden with leaves. Krishna and
Gopi are depicted in a special kind of soft, gentle, poetic, and rhythmic body gestures. Their look is
extremely delicate. Illustration of the attenuated human figure with extra elongated limbs and
tapering fingers that reflects the experience of Rajasthani, Pahari, and Mughal miniature paintings. In
this painting, Krishna is dancing with Radha and Gopis, and the background of trees creates a simple
village atmosphere as shown in Bhagavata Purana and Gita Govinda. The figures and their garments
are drawn with simple, flowing, delicate lines. There is the halo around Krishna's head to mark his
divine qualities. He is decorating with various types of jewellery. Krishna is half naked and wearing a
dhoti. Gopis is painted in lehenga and dupatta. The hair style of Gopi's is either stacked or attractively
having plait. Their facial expression on their face filled with divine pleasure. The act of dancing and
singing is nicely and artistically portrayed. The sublime moods of the characters are well captured.
Krishna and Gopis are drawn with the same proportion. Thus, humans and God are brought to the
same level.

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ABOUT THE ARTIST:

M.A.R. CHUGHTAI" (Abdur Rahman Chughtai) was born on 21 Sep 1894 in Lahore, now in
Palistan. Chughtai was a painter artist and intellectual. who created His own unique, distinctive
painting style influenced by Mughal art, niniature painting, art Nouveau and Islamic art traditions. He
was 'the first important modern Muslim artist' and the national artist of Pakistan. His subject matter
was drawn from the legends, folklore, and history of the Indo-Islamic world, as well as Punjab, Persia,
and the world of the Mughals. He was given the title of Khan Bahadur by the British Empire in India
in 1934, Pakistan's Hilal-e-Imtiaz Award in 1960 and pride of performance award by the President of
Pakistan in 1958. He also performed with the Indian School of Oriental Art. Chughtai was also a print-
maker who perfected his orging skills in London. His sketches were used in many books in Punjabi
poetry. In his sixty years of artistic creation, Chughtai produced about 2000 water colours, thousands
of pencil sketches, and about 300 etchings and aquatints. He also wrote short stories and articles on
art. He designed postage stamps, coins, insignia, and book covers.
 NAME : RADHIKA

ARTIST: M.A.R. CHUGHTAI MEDIUM: Water Colour on Paper

TECHNIQE : Wash Technique

PERIOD: Bengal School

COLLECTION : National Gallery of Modern Art, New Dehli

Subject Matter : The subject is based on Hindu mythology. In this composition, artist M.A.R. Chughtai
portrayed a young Indian girl in a fairy delicate form, standing in a shy posture. It is a vertical painting
with a size of 52.7 x 73 cm.

Human Life Values: This painting has humility, beauty, humility,

Description/Compositional Arrangement : 'Radhika' is one of Abdul Rahman Chughtai s beautiful

wash paintings. It is a painting that shows the typical Indian young delicate girl in a standing posture
as she steps out of her room. The character is decently drawn with the lyrical quality of calligraphy in
every line. The painting 'Radhika' has also been drawn into the profile. Her head is down, the eye
below in the arch of the brow is unique. A braid of dark brown tresses is flowing down her back that
looks very realistic, and she has jewellery with earnings around her neck. Postures have also been
romanticized. Her left leg shows the front and toe well while the right foot is shown with three
fingers. She is delicately holding two lotuses in both her hands The left hand is normally bent near his
neck, and her right hand i hanging down holding the lotus. The artist has also shown a honey-be
walking near the right-handed lotus. In the background is painted b the artist a lamp with a
lampshade, with every single detail in the Mughal manner. We can clearly see the flame and the
burning smoke. A small umbrella-shaped shade is also painted by the artist on the lamp and series of
lamps are hanging on the floor. Some insects are shown dead on the ground near the lamp. Lamp
has illuminated Radhika. She also has red bangles in both hands and rings in her fingers. She is
dressed in a light purple lehenga with a dark blue print, red choli, and yellow dupatta, with a brown
border in typical Indian style. She is wearing jewellery pearl necklace with pendants and thread
necklaces as wells a beautiful pendant, with fine decorative sharp lines. This means that the artist
has given every single detail of the woman's jewellery do painted it beautifully. The background is
beautiful by the fusions reddish yellow and black colours. The entire composition is giving a beautiful
impression due to its rhythmic form and flexibility. Chugs experimented with the technique of
washing and placed a character in a calligraphic line, specialized in Mughal manuscripts and Old
Persian painting as he was influenced by Abanindranath Tagore, Gaganendranath Tagore and
Nandalal Bose. This gives his paintings a deep sensual quality.

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ABOUT THE ARTIST:

"RAM GOPAL VIJAIVARGIYA" He was born in 1905 in Baler Sawai Madhopur district of
Rajasthan ae Ram Gopal Vijaivargiya was a talented and innovative artist from Rajasthan. He learned
painting at the Maharaja's School of Atiss in Jaipur, where artist Asit Kumar Haldar was the principal.
He Arts moved to Kolkata where Ramgopal Vijaivargiya learned further influences from Bengal
School. There he considered artist Shailedra Nath Dey, whom he considered his guru and understood
many valuable lessons from him. Apart from being a prolific painter, he is also known 1s a famous
poet and writer. He was the Principal of Rajasthan Kala Mandir and Rajasthan School of Art from
1945 to 1966. He was also the Vice President of Rajasthan Lalit Kala Akademi in 1958-60. By the time
Vijayvargiya was 30 years old, he sold around 1000 paintings, a small fraction of the world of Indian
art. R.C. Tandon noticed his talent and printed an album of selected works for the Hindustani
Academy in Allahabad, which was later exhibited at exhibitions in Calcutta and Bombay. Vijayvargiya
later headed the Rajasthan Kala Mandir and Rajasthan Kala Vidyalaya from 1945 to 1966 and won
several state and national awards.
NAME : MEGHDOOT

ARTIST : Ram Gopal Vijaivargiya

PERIOD: Bengal School

MEDIUM: Water Colour on Paper (Wash Technique)

SIZE : 10.5" x 14"

COLLECTION: Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi

Subject Matter : The painting is based on a lyrical poem 'Meghdoot' written by Kalidasa. Meghadota
is the story of a Yaksha, who lives in the beautiful mythological city of Alaka in the Himalayas. He was
exiled for a year by his guru King Kubera for neglecting his duties. The poem is set almost eight
months after exile. When Yaksha yearns for his beloved, he considers the passing cloud as his
messenger and conveys his message to his beloved wife while waiting for his return.

Description/Compositional Arrangement : Ram Gopal Vijayvargiya portrayed the "Meghdoot" theme

in three different series based on AbhigyanShakuntalam, written by Kalidasa. Meghdoot is the poetic
composition of Kalidasa and one of his very famous works Yaksha is exiled by King Kubera for
neglecting his duties. In this situation, Yaksha stops a passing cloud and persuades to convey the
message of love to his wife who lives near Mount Kailash. In this painting, the cloud has been called
Meghdoot, the messenger of the rainy season.Meghdoot used to deliver Yaksha's message to his
beloved. The influence of the Bengal school is evident in his Ajanta-like figures; Soft, dream rhythm
and colour palette (water colour, not gaudy). Strokes and lines are also calligraphy (an influence of
Japanese and Eastern art).

This painting influence of Ajanta school and the graceful Yakshas is shown kneeling on the rocks in
profile face. He has a white flower in his left hand. He is shown in forest form in the lap of nature,
engaged in writing letters on a leaf with his right hand. His expressions while writing the message are
with tears in his eyes as he yearns for his beloved and his home. He is shown wearing a traditional
yellow dhoti and a long stole over the left shoulder. He has a garland of flowers around his neck and
a sacred thread (Janeu) on his right shoulder. He is also wearing a necklace. His hair is curled at the
long ends. In the background are a thatched hut and trees in a thick forest in green and yellow. The
hut, trees, and rocky areas are painted in light and dark brown. Two wavelike clouds are being
formed from behind and from front towards Yaksha. The Clouds filled with rainwater are shown
floating very close to the Yakshas as if they were eager and excited to take messages from the
Yakshas and send them to their lover. They are painted sky blue in a dark sky full of stars.

Where the effect of clouds falls in a very special way, due to which nature looks attractive. Birds are
shown flying above the clouds. The colours are soft and light giving a subtle shine to this painting.
The lines are sharp with tonal variations in gray. Just as important as the painting technique was the
story. Now, it is a collection of the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi.