Learning Objective
- Company Painting
- Raja Ravi Varma
- The Bengal School
- Abanindranath Tagore and E. B. Havell
- Shantiniketan — Early modernism
- Pan-Asianism and Modernism
- Different Concepts of Modernism: Western and Indian
Company Painting
- Before British rule, Indian art served religious and decorative purposes, such as temple sculptures and miniature manuscripts. With the arrival of the British in the 18th century, local artists adapted their traditional styles to create detailed, observational paintings for English officers.
- This blend of traditional Indian techniques with European realism became known as the Company School of Painting. Popular both in India and Britain, this style featured albums of paintings that documented Indian life and landscapes.
Raja Ravi Varma
- The Company School of Painting declined with the advent of photography in the mid-19th century, as cameras offered superior documentation. Instead, British art schools promoted the academic style of oil painting, which depicted Indian subjects using European techniques.
- Raja Ravi Varma, a self-taught artist from Kerala, excelled in this academic realism by portraying scenes from Indian epics. His popular works, often reproduced as oleographs and calendar images, faced criticism in the late 19th century for being too Western. This led to the emergence of the Bengal School of Art in the early 20th century, reflecting nationalist sentiments.
The Bengal School
- The term “Bengal School of Art” is a misnomer as it was not confined to Bengal.
- Originating in Calcutta, this nationalist art movement, led by Abanindranath Tagore (1871–1951) with support from E. B. Havell (1861–1934), aimed to develop a distinctly Indian style, drawing inspiration from Mughal and Pahari miniatures rather than European art.
- It influenced artists nationwide and led to the founding of India’s first national art school in Shantiniketan.
Abanindranath Tagore and E. B. Havell
- In 1896, E. B. Havell and Abanindranath Tagore initiated a push to Indianize art education at the Government Art School, Calcutta, now the Government College of Art and Craft, Kolkata.
- Unlike other art schools focused on crafts, Calcutta’s school emphasized fine arts, integrating Indian art traditions into its curriculum. Abanindranath’s works, like Journey’s End, reflect Mughal and Pahari influences.
- Through his journal, Indian Society of Oriental Art, he championed Swadeshi values and laid the foundation for the Bengal School of Art, inspiring modern Indian painting and artists such as Kshitindranath Majumdar and M. R. Chughtai.
Shantiniketan — Early modernism
- Nandalal Bose, a student of Abanindranath Tagore, led the painting department at Kala Bhavana, India’s first national art school. He focused on Indian folk art and created the ‘Haripura Posters’ (1937) reflecting Gandhi’s vision.
- Kala Bhavana influenced artists like K. Venkatappa, who aimed to make art accessible. Jamini Roy adopted folk styles for their simplicity. Despite these efforts, the British Raj continued to favor European art styles for major projects.
Pan-Asianism and Modernism
- The colonial art policy split European academic and Indian styles. The 1905 Bengal Partition boosted Swadeshi art ideas. Ananda Coomaraswamy and Kakuzo Okakura supported pan-Asianism and wash painting techniques.
- In 1922, modern European art, including Bauhaus works, influenced Indian artists like Gaganendranath Tagore, who adopted Cubism and caricatures to critique European lifestyles.
Different Concepts of Modernism: Western and Indian
- The divide in Indian art was not racial. Benoy Sarkar supported European modernism, while E. B. Havell favored a return to native art.
- Amrita Sher-Gil merged Bauhaus styles with Indian themes.
- Modern Indian art evolved from the conflict between colonialism and nationalism, blending Western ideas with indigenous traditions.
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