Abanindranath Tagore: A Prominent Indian Artist and His Artworks

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

1VISUAL AND MEDIA ART
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)

2VISUAL AND MEDIA ART
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)

3VISUAL AND MEDIA ART
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