Abanindranath Tagore: A Prominent Indian Artist and His Artworks

This article explores Abanindranath Tagore, a famous Indian artist who modernized traditional forms of art and painting in India. It discusses his three selected artworks and their elements of art. It also provides insights on how his art can be introduced to pre-schoolers as a cultural and educational tool.

Running head: VISUAL AND MEDIA ART
Visual and Media Art
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Abanindranath Tagore:
Abanindranath Tagore was a famous Indian artist (born on August 17th, 1871, died on
December 5th, 1951). He was one of the most prominent artists in the country and founded the
‘Indian Society of Oriental Art’ and later the ‘Bengal School or Art’, which led to the
creation of the style of modern Indian painting (Kolay, 2016; Tagore, 1961). He was a major
supporter of Indian or ‘Swadeshi’ values in the Indian art and he modernized elements of the
‘Rajput’ and ‘Mughal’ styles in order to counter the western influence on Indian art form that
was taught during the British Raj era (Banerji, 2015; Kumar & Tagore, 2013). He was the
nephew of the famous poet Rabindranath Tagore. His art significantly influenced the art
movement in India and helped to strengthen the connection of traditional art forms and Indian
culture to Indian paintings and thus in the development of a nationalistic pride among Indians
(culturalindia.net, 2018).
Picture 1: Portrait of Abanindranath Tagore (source: culturalindia.net, 2018)

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Three arts by Abanindranath Tagore:
Painting #1: ‘Black Girl’- water color wash-painting
The painting depicts a dark skinned Indian girl against a green background. The
image of the girl draws upon the early depictions of women in ancient Indian arts, heavily
ornamented, hair in a neat bun, an elegant posture. The girl is not covering her bosom, and
she wears a white sari around her waist. In a way she has a resemblance to the stone
sculptures from the Gupta and Maurya dynasties (325-1285 BCE) which was seen in the
temples built during that time. Thus the painting shows a strong influence of the history of
Indian culture, rejuvenating it through his painting (Selby, 2017; Raychaudhuri, 2006).
Picture 2: ‘Black Girl’ by Abanindranath Tagore (source: chitralekha.org, 2018)

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Painting #2: Brush and ink study of a Vaishnava Guru
This painting was done in monochrome using brush and ink. It depicts a Vaishnava
Guru or a Spiritual Teacher engaged in a prayer or meditation. The art is very minimalistic,
depicting the lifestyle and philosophy of the Vaishnavas which is a traditional school of
thought in India, that developed around the belief on the deity Vishnu or the protector of
creation. The Vasishnav Gurus were known for their minimalistic needs and attachments to
the world and their focus of attain enlightenment through meditative practice. The painting
captures the essence of the guru adorned in single cloth overalls and in deep meditation or
prayer (Goswamy & Grewal, 2010; Manring, 2004).
Picture 3: ‘Vaishnava Guru’ by Abanindranath Tagore (source: chitralekha.org, 2018)
Painting #3: Yashoda and Krishna

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This painting depicts one of the stages in the life story of Lord Krishna, as told in the
Mahabharata. The painting is of young Krishna with his foster mother Yashodha milking a
cow. The painting draws connection not only to the epic story of Mahabharata, showing the
childhood of Krishna, but also to the Ancient Indian culture where cows were an important
part of the family, as they were an important source of income and food. According to the
epic, Yashodha used to skim the milk to make butter, which was a source of livelihood for
the people in that time (Archer, 2012; Arnold, 2017).
Picture 4: ‘Yashodha and Krishna’ by Abanindranath Tagore (source: chitralekha.org,
2018)
Introduction to Abanindranath Tagore:

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Abanindranath Tagore was famous for incorporating Indian or ‘Swadeshi’ elements in
his art that was drawn from the historical, literary and cultural diversity of the country,
thereby countering the influence of the Western art models that was being taught during his
time in the art schools (culturalindia.net, 2018). He modernized traditional forms of art and
painting in India such as the Mughal and Rajput art forms that developed during the early 15th
and 16th century AD. He was famous for modernizing the traditional art and painting, which
later became the cornerstones of the Indian Art movement (Banerji, 2015; Kolay, 2016).
His fame began in the early 1890’s when many of his illustrations were published in
the Chitrangada and Sadhana which were well known magazines during that time. His
association with William Rothenstein, who was the president of the Royal College of Art,
London and an eminent artist led to the discovery of Abanindranath Tagore’s art in the
western world. His fame grew significantly after his death in 1951 when his son
Alokendranath gave away all of Tagore Paintings to the Rabindra Bharti Society which
became the primary repository for all of Abanindtanath Tagore’s work and caught the interest
of many artists and art connoisseurs (chitralekha, 2018; culturalindia.net, 2018; Tagore,
1961).
Elements of art in the three selected artworks of Abanindranath Tagore:
The Black Girl:
This painting is an amalgamation of many elements, such as the implied texture, flat
and two dimensional shape of the girl, hues of black, white, green and red, intense and sharp
colors providing a strong image in the painting and a dark hue that makes the girl stand out
from the green background (Malins, 1980; Nam, 2018).
The Vaishnava Guru

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This painting incorporates the elements of bold lines, flat shapes, lack of hue, giving
an image of pure grayscale, with a light value and implied texture, within a two dimensional
depiction of the Guru. The painting does not show the depth of the objects that are far away
such as the tree in the background, but presenting everything in the same space (Malins,
1980; Nam, 2018).
Yashodhara and Krishna:
This painting incorporates the elements of thin lines that border every object in the
painting, differentiating it from its environment. The shapes are two dimensional showing no
perceptions of depth. The hues are bright especially on the skin tone of young Krishna and
the dress worn by Yashoshara with a light value. This also has an implied texture and
incorporates a sense of time (Malins, 1980; Nam, 2018).
Critique of the artist and artwork as a cultural and educational tool:
The art by Abanindranath Tagore provides an important source of cultural and
educational tool for children. It can significantly help in the education of arts that helps in the
development of the whole child and prepares him/her for a life that is filled with joy and
learning. Abanindranath Tagore’s art had a simplistic and storytelling format, with each
painting telling a unique story that is blended with the ancient historical and cultural roots of
the country. Thus teaching this art in schools can help in the development of the knowledge
of the rich and diverse culture and history of the country (De Wet, 2017; Woodruff et al.
2014.
The painting also has an educational value through the historical significant of the
paintings. The influence of the traditional forms of Indian art that developed through the
thousands of years of the history of the country provides a context for developing knowledge

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about the diversity of the subcontinent. Moreover, the simplistic paintings can also help new
students to understand and practice the basics of painting in a more easy way, making it
perfect for children. Thus through his paintings it is possible to develop knowledge both in
the context of its history as well as a form of art (Christensen & Kirkland, 2009).
How Abanindranath Tagore and his art can be introduced to pre-schoolers:
Abanindranath Tagore can be introduced through his various paintings and sketches
that depict the daily life, cultural diversity and history of the Indian Subcontinent. He can not
only be introduced as a painter and artist, but also a story teller, where he used words as well
as paintings and drawings to tell different stories. His work can be introduced in retrospect to
the western forms of art, contrasting that to the oriental form that is influenced by the Indian
culture. Thus his paintings can be introduced as the window to understand the diversity of
Indian culture, history and heritage (Banerji, 2015; Kumar & Tagore, 2013).
His works can be introduced to the pre-schoolers to understand the methods to learn
painting. The simplistic patterns of his paints can be used to teach the important elements of
painting that can be seen though his works. For pre schoolers, there painting can allow the
development of the understand of the use of colors and textures in a way that can depict real
life observations and imageries from stories (Banerji, 2015). Children can use such strategies
to make their own paintings from the stories they know. Also, the paintings can be introduced
as a way to tell them the stories associated with these paintings, thus helping them to
understand the storytelling aspect of his art (Christensen & Kirkland, 2009).
Conclusion:
Abanindranath Tagore’s works provides an excellent example of how Indian culture
and history have influenced a distinctively prominent form of Art that is different from the

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western forms, and hence adds diversity to the world of art and imagery. Abanindranath
Tagore is a quintessential artist of his time, who merged the traditional art forms in a modern
way to create new form of Indian school of painting that was later followed by the school of
art founded by him. His art is therefore of significant importance in the history of Indian art
as well as the world art.

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Archer, W. G. (2012). The loves of Krishna in Indian painting and poetry. Courier
Corporation.
Arnold, E. (2017). Routledge Revivals: The Song Celestial or Bhagavad-Gita (1906): From
the Mahabharata. Routledge.
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chitralekha.org (2018). Abanindranath Tagore: A Survey of the Master’s Life and Work.
Retrieved on August 28, 2018. From:
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https://www.culturalindia.net/indian-art/painters/abanindranath-tagore.html
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Kolay, S. (2016). Cultural heritage preservation of traditional Indian art through virtual new-
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Nam, K. (2018). Real time digital portrait based on elements of art complexity. ICCC
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Tagore, A. (1961). Abanindranath Tagore. Indian Society of Oriental Art.
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