Abanindranath Tagore

Born on 7^th August 1871 in the Jorasanko Town of West Bengal, Abanindranath Tagore was the nephew of Rabindranath Tagore. He is one artist one made a great contribution in the evolution of Indian art. One of the most prominent artists of his era, he is credited to revive Bengal school of painting. Abanindranath Tagore was a firm believer of swadeshi values incorporated in Indian art. A multi-dimensional personality, he was equally proficient in writing. Indian art world respects him for his contribution in modernizing Rajput and Mughal traditions. He did in the time when western art was establishing its roots during British Raj.

Abanindranath Tagore belonged to a family of artists. The whole world knows about his great uncle. Even his elder brother Gaganendranath Tagore was an acclaimed artist. He started learning arts in early 1880s. He married Srimati Suhasini Devi in the year 1889. He was deeply influenced by intricacies of Mughal art and started to focus on watercolors. His creations include wonderful paintings of Lord Krishna in Mughal style. He also worked with famous E.B. Havell and tried working for renewal of style of teaching Indian art.

Abanindranath Tagore was a firm beliver of the traditional Indian techniques of painting. Traditional art froms were his forte. He could never generate any interest in materialistic art of the western world. Two forms of art that left an indelible mar on his mindset were Mughal paintings and Whistler’s Aestheticism. He was also a big supporter of Eastern spiritual and artistic culture. His fascination towards integrating Chinese and Japanese calligraphic traditions into his art works are a clear example of this fact. His contribution to Indian art can never be forgotten.