Abanindranath Tagore

শিল্পাচার্য - Great Teacher of the Arts
Abanindranath Tagore
অবনীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর
Abanindranath Tagore
Born
Jorasanko

(1871-08-07)7 August 1871
Jorasanko, Calcutta, Bengal, British India (now in West Bengal, India)
Died5 December 1951(1951-12-05) (aged 80)
NationalityIndia
Known forDrawing, painting, writing
Notable workBharat Mata; The Passing of Shah Jahan; Bageshwari shilpa-prabandhabali; Bharatshilpe Murti; Buro Angla; Jorasankor Dhare; Khirer Putul; Shakuntala
MovementBengal school of art, Contextual Modernism
Awardshonorary doctor of the University of Calcutta
  • India (1950–)

Abanindranath Tagore CIE (Bengali: অবনীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর; 7 August 1871 – 5 December 1951) was the principal artist and creator of the "Indian Society of Oriental Art". He was also the first major exponent of Swadeshi values in Indian art. He founded the influential Bengal school of art, which led to the development of modern Indian painting.[1][2] He was also a noted writer, particularly for children. Popularly known as 'Aban Thakur', his books Rajkahini, Buro Angla, Nalak, and Khirer Putul were landmarks in Bengali language children's literature and art.

Tagore sought to modernise Mughal and Rajput styles to counter the influence of Western models of art, as taught in art schools under the British Raj. Along with other artists from the Bengal school of art, Tagore advocated in favour of a nationalistic Indian art derived from Indian art history, drawing inspiration from the Ajanta Caves. Tagore's work was so successful that it was eventually accepted and promoted as a national Indian style within British art institutions.[3]

  1. ^ John Onians (2004). "Bengal School". Atlas of World Art. Laurence King Publishing. p. 304. ISBN 1856693775.
  2. ^ Abanindranath Tagore, A Survey of the Master’s Life and Work by Mukul Dey Archived 4 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine, reprinted from "Abanindra Number," The Visva-Bharati Quarterly, May – Oct. 1942.
  3. ^ The International Studio, Vol. 35: An Illustrated Magazine of Fine and Applied Art: Jul-Oct 1908. Forgotten Books. pp. 107–116, E.B. Havell. ISBN 9781334345050.