Abanindranath Tagore
Who was Abanindranath Tagore?
Indian painter and writer (1871–1951)
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Abanindranath Tagore (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Abanindranath Tagore (7 August 1871 – 5 December 1951) was an Indian painter and writer from Kolkata. He was a key figure in the Bengal school of art and a major influence on modern Indian painting. A nephew of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, he grew up in the culturally vibrant environment of the Tagore family's Jorasanko estate. He studied at the Sanskrit Collegiate School and The Sanskrit College and University, later receiving formal artistic training at the Government College of Art and Craft in Kolkata, where he also taught and became vice principal.
In 1907, Tagore founded the Indian Society of Oriental Art to unite artists interested in reviving Indian artistic traditions. His main goal was to modernize Mughal and Rajput painting styles as a response to the Western art taught in British-run schools in India. Influenced by the Ajanta Cave murals and classical Indian art, he created a style that was both historically informed and modern. His painting Bharat Mata, showing the nation as a four-armed goddess, became an emblem of the Swadeshi movement, illustrating how art could convey nationalist messages.
Tagore also made significant contributions to Bengali literature, especially for children. His books Rajkahini, Buro Angla, Nalak, and Khirer Putul are considered classics in Bengali children's literature, combining imaginative stories with Indian mythology and folk traditions. He also wrote essays and short stories that showed his playful yet philosophical nature. Known affectionately as 'Aban Thakur,' he gained a devoted readership over generations. His work Alor Phulki further cemented his reputation as a writer with sensitivity and wit.
Tagore's impact on Indian art went well beyond his own artwork. He trained artists like Nandalal Bose and Surendranath Ganguly, who continued his ideas and influenced twentieth-century Indian art. His approach was so well-received that it garnered acknowledgment and support within British art institutions in India, which was a notable feat given the colonial context. The University of Calcutta honored him with an honorary doctorate for both his artistic and literary contributions.
Abanindranath Tagore spent almost his entire life in Kolkata, passing away on 5 December 1951 at eighty. His career spanned over six decades and touched various creative fields, yet he stayed committed to the belief that Indian art should be rooted in its own history. His life's work laid a foundation for future generations of Indian artists and writers.
Before Fame
Abanindranath Tagore was born on 7 August 1871 into the well-known Tagore family of Jorasanko, Kolkata, a household known for its Bengali intellectual, literary, and artistic activities. Growing up with poets, musicians, and thinkers around him, he learned early on that creative work had social and cultural responsibilities. He went to the Sanskrit Collegiate School and later attended The Sanskrit College and University, where he studied classical Indian subjects before seriously focusing on visual arts.
He received formal art training at the Government College of Art and Craft in Kolkata, learning from English painter Charles Palmer and later the Italian artist Gilhardi. Although he picked up Western techniques, he was increasingly opposed to European academic styles dominating Indian art education. The late 1800s in Bengal was a time of strong nationalist movements, and Tagore found the Swadeshi movement gave his artistic instincts a broader political and cultural meaning. It was this mix of personal temperament, family background, and historical events that guided him to create a unique Indian modern art movement.
Key Achievements
- Founded the Bengal school of art, which established the first major modern movement in Indian painting rooted in indigenous artistic traditions.
- Established the Indian Society of Oriental Art in 1907, an institution central to the nationalist art movement in colonial India.
- Created Bharat Mata, a painting that became a defining visual symbol of the Swadeshi and Indian independence movements.
- Authored several landmark works of Bengali children's literature, including Khirer Putul, Buro Angla, and Alor Phulki, that remain classics of the genre.
- Received an honorary doctorate from the University of Calcutta in recognition of his contributions to Indian art and literature.
Did You Know?
- 01.His painting Bharat Mata, one of the earliest iconic images of Indian nationalism, depicted the nation as a sari-clad, four-armed goddess holding a book, sheaves of paddy, a piece of cloth, and a garland, and was created around 1905 during the Swadeshi movement.
- 02.Despite being a nephew of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, Abanindranath carved out an entirely distinct public identity, becoming known to generations of Bengalis simply as 'Aban Thakur' through his children's books rather than his paintings.
- 03.He co-founded the Indian Society of Oriental Art in 1907 alongside Sister Nivedite and Ernest Binfield Havell, the British principal of the Government College of Art and Craft who became an unlikely ally in the project of reviving Indian artistic traditions.
- 04.Tagore drew direct visual inspiration from the ancient Buddhist frescoes of the Ajanta Caves, which he studied closely and whose fluid line work and spiritual atmosphere he sought to reintroduce into contemporary Indian painting.
- 05.His children's book Khirer Putul, a fantastical story involving a doll made of condensed milk, has remained continuously in print in Bengali for over a century and is still read as a classic of the language's children's literature.
Family & Personal Life
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| honorary doctor of the University of Calcutta | — | — |