THE BENGAL SCHOOL OF ART

In the early years of the 20th century there was a

renewed upsurge of nationalist fervour. In the arts this
resulted in the search and revitalisation of Indian
cultural history and spirituality, albeit one that was
expressed not through the pictorial vocabulary of the
foreign rulers but by reviving indigenous techniques
and material. A significant reaction against colonial
influence was witnessed with the birth of the Bengal
School of Art in the early 20th century.
Rooted in the pride of nationalism, the avant-garde
movement transformed Indian art by bringing
‘Swadeshi’ values to Indian Paintings. Led by reformers
and artists like E.B. Havell and Abanindranath Tagore,
the Bengal School of Art originated in erstwhile Calcutta
and Santiniketan, but spread across the country as a
voice against western influence.

The Cause of the Rise

During the British Raj, the traditional Indian approach
towards painting had lost its identity. Since the
traditional painting styles didn’t appeal to British tastes,
they introduced a new form of painting in India in the
late 1700s. Known as ‘Company Paintings’, specifically
catering to British collectors, they captured India’s flora,
fauna, ancient monuments, festivals, and ‘exotic new
people’. Done mostly in watercolours, they were more
documental than imaginative, characterized in
technique by the use of linear perspectives and shading.
Soon, artists like Raja Ravi Varma also began
popularizing the western techniques of realism and oil
on canvas. But certain factions of the art world began to
feel that the voice of the Indian artist was getting
suppressed, with no room left for originality or
imagination.
Start of the Movement
Ironically, it was an English gentleman, Ernest Binfield
Havell, who first reacted against the academic style of
painting being promoted by the British in India. E.B.
Havell was the Principal of the Government College of
Art, Calcutta from 1896 to 1905, where he encouraged
students to imitate Mughal miniatures, which he
believed expressed India’s spiritual qualities, as
opposed to the ‘materialism’ of the west. Havell was
supported tremendously in this endeavour by
Abanindranath Tagore, the nephew of Rabindranath
Tagore, who is known at the Founder of the movement
famously known as the Bengal School of Art, or the
Bengal School.
A few months prior to the nationalist unrest of 1905,
Havell had brought Abanindranath to the Calcutta Art
School to ‘Indianize’ art teaching with a select group of
students who would rediscover ‘the lost language of
Indian art’. Abanindranath Tagore, who led the Bengal
School, aimed to create an ‘oriental art’ by assimilating
different Asian cultures. The target of the Bengal school
was academic art, which was branded as a colonial
hybrid lacking ‘authenticity’. Some influential figures in
Bengal however, refused to dismiss all academic art and
this resulted into an acrimonious battle for years, giving
rise to battles of great vivacity.
Predominant Styles
Though the Bengal School artists all had individualistic
styles, a few common features distinctly stood out in
their work, like the use of indigenous materials such as
tempera, or a sombre colour palette with limited
colours. The Ajanta style of painting, as well as Mughal,
Rajasthani and Pahari styles were evident influences in
the works made by Bengal School artists, who created
simple art with elegant and refined figures. Bengal
School artists typically painted romantic landscapes,
historical themes and portraits, as well as scenes from
daily rural life. One of the most iconic paintings from the
Bengal School is ‘Bharat Mata’ (Mother India) by
Abanindranath Tagore, in which he depicted a young
woman with four arms, holding objects symbolic of
India’s national aspirations. In an attempt to reject
colonial aesthetics, Abanindranath Tagore also turned
to China and Japan with the intent of promoting a pan-
Asian aesthetic, that was completely separate from, and
independent of, a western influence. Japanese artist
Okakura Kakuzo inspired him greatly, and the Japanese
wash technique was imbibed by many Bengal School
artists in their painting.
An important aspect of the Bengal School was the
merging of individual differences of style within a
common vocabulary. Apart from the blend of Mughal
and Far Eastern Art, what held the movement together
was the nationalist subject matter. Stories relating the
past glories of the nation, themes exuding noble
sentiments and deep pathos were preferred. The
vehicles for such noble themes were stooping
emaciated figures, dripping with an aura of acute
spirituality. An oppressive sense of lamentation and loss
was reflected for the nation degenerating under a
foreign power.
The Swadeshi ideology of art, a reflection of militant
Hindu Nationalism rose in importance and created a
feeling a unease among the Muslims. This led artists like
Abdur Rahim Chughtai to represent the awakening of
Muslim political and cultural identity through his
paintings.

Famous Artists
Besides Abanindranath, many other proponents of the
Bengal School are also considered stalwarts in Indian
art. His brother, Gaganendranath Tagore was a famous
painter and cartoonist from the Bengal School.
Together, they also founded the Indian Society of
Oriental Art in 1907.
Nandalal Bose, a pupil of Abanindranath, was inspired
by the murals of Ajanta, and typically painted scenes
from Indian mythology, women and village life. Asit
Kumar Haldar, another renowned artist of the Bengal
School, was inspired by Buddhist art and Indian history,
and took a lyrical and poetic approach in his painting.

Decline
With the spread of modernist ideas in the 1920s, the
influence of the Bengal School began to decline. But
there is no doubt that the revolutionary movement
fuelled artists to look for a distinct Indian identity, and
in that sense, the Bengal School was the harbinger of
Modern Art in India. Till date, the Government College
of Art and Craft in Kolkata and the Viswa Bharati
University in Santiniketan continue to train students in
the traditional styles of tempera and wash painting,
carrying forward the legacy of one of the most
significant periods in Indian art.