Examine the evolution and salient features of Bengal School of Art. (200 Words)
Bengal School of Art brought changes in modern Indian painting. It encouraged the beginning of the revival style.
Evolution:
During Indian nationalist movement, especially after the partition of Bengal in 1905, painting became subject matter.
It was served as a counter to the Western styles taught in the art colleges of the time, revived and modernised the old Mughal, Rajasthani and Ajanta styles.
In 1906, the year after the partition, the iconic painting of “Bharat Mata”, was the gentle yet vulnerable and subjugated figure became a symbol of the nationalist movement.
Features:
Abhinidra Nath Tagore’s paintings were stylistically unique and displayed his immense creative range. The paintings are so evocative and powerful that they can draw a viewer right into the stories that they tell. The expressions of paintings are kind and gentle, but at the same time, there is a sense of sadness and nostalgia. It has a misty quality to his works, which became one of his trademarks.
Example: The paintings tell the stories of the Mangal Kavyas, which were based on old folklore from rural Bengal. In this painting figures were drawn from everyday rural life and look more like common people than goddesses or deities.
Thus, Bengal school created different subject and brought common people on oils, but this was done by reviving old and medieval Indian style of paintings.