Hello Readers!
Many of you must have heard about Rabindranath Tagore but only a few of you might be aware of Abanindranath Tagore.
In today’s blog we will be talking about the great artist, Abanindranath Tagore whose 150th birth anniversary is commemorated on 7th August 2021. We will discuss in detail about his life, his works, contribution to the Indian freedom struggle and the events held on his 150th anniversary.
About Abanindranath Tagore
Birth
Abanindranath Tagore was born in Jorasanko in Kolkata in 1871 in the family of Tagore’s.
He was the nephew of Rabindranath Tagore and a decade younger than him.
Contribution towards Indian Art and Culture
He first created the ‘Indian School of Oriental Art’ and later went on to establish Bengal school of art.
He believed that Indian art and its art forms gave importance to spirituality as opposed to the West which stressed on materialism, thus rejecting it. His idea of modernizing Mughal and Rajput paintings eventually gave rise to modern Indian painting, which took birth at his Bengal school of art.
In his later works, Abanindranath started integrating Chinese and Japanese calligraphic traditions into his style. The intention behind this move was to construct an amalgamation of the modern pan-Asian artistic tradition and the common elements of Eastern artistic and spiritual culture.
Contributions to Literature
Abanindranath is also regarded as a proficient and accomplished writer. Most of his literary works were meant for children.
Some of his books like ‘BudoAngla’, ‘KhirerPutul’ and ‘Rajkahini’ are best examples of Bengali children’s literature. Arabian Nights series was one of his notable works.
Most famous paintings
Bharat Mata, The Passing of Shah Jahan (1900), My Mother (1912–13), Fairyland illustration (1913), Journey’s End (circa 1913).
He was most famous for his iconic painting of ‘Bharat Mata’ which he created in 1905.The artwork was the first visual representation of the concept, and it was created in the context of the greater Indian Independence movement, with Swadesh principles.
Events held on the 150th Celebration
Victoria Memorial and DAG have collaborated to curate an online festival to highlight the lesser known facets of the icon
- The celebration, titled Abanindranath at 150: Bichitra Revisited, is being organized jointly by Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata, and DAG. The event will explore his engagement in the field of story-telling, theatre and dance and art history.
- The spirit of Bichitra studio, formed by Abanindranath and his brothers on the south verandah of Jorasanko with the backing of Rabindranath Tagore, will also be honoured during this festival.
- Throughout the day, four events will take place – all around Zoom — with special activities for children, performative debates, and talks.
- The workshops will begin with his world of stories, taking inspiration from his Chitrakshar albums where he reimagined alphabets as animals and characters. Under the guidance of nationally recognized children’s book illustrator Proiti Roy and educator and engaging storyteller Arna Seal, participants will take inspiration from his works to weave their own stories and characters.
- Another session will explore the influences of dance and the critical role of theatre in his work. Odissi dancer Manishikha Baul will demonstrate how the principles of classical aesthetics shaped the figuration of the Bengal School through a performance that interweaves movement and drawing.
- These activities also kick off a year-long commemoration of the artist, which will include digital projects, videos, performances, and workshops by modern artists re-engaging with his work and the Bichitra Studio’s spirit.
With this we come to the end of this blog. We gave you all the relevant information related to Abanindranath Tagore and his 150th anniversary celebration.
Hope it was an interesting read for you all.
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