PAINTER OF NEO BENGAL SCHOOL ASIT KUMAR...
Transcript of PAINTER OF NEO BENGAL SCHOOL ASIT KUMAR...
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PAINTER OF NEO BENGAL SCHOOL ASIT KUMAR HALDER(1890-1964):A
BRIEF STUDY
Sutithi Banerjee Chowdhury1
ABSTRACT
Asit Haldar is best known for his mythological subject matter depicted in art and
literature in a narrative style with lyrical fluidity, beauty and grace. He was involved in
projects at Ajanta caves, Bagh and Jogimara caves for copying ancient artworks,
whereby he discovered his own vocation and flair. He subsequently developed a
new technique of lacquering paint on wood known as lacit. The art movement
of Abanindranath Tagore succeeded to a great extent because of the assistance
rendered by Asit Kumar Haldar, Nandalal Bose and SurendraNath Ganguli. Between
the years 1909 and 1921 he made copies of the famous frescoes at Ajanta, Bagh
and Jogimara caves, retaining his own style unaffected. Aspects of Rajput and
Pahari miniature paintings find a way into Haldar's work. The emphasis on detail and
precision in technique and the prominence of mythological, historical and literary
themes in art can all be found in Haldar's work. However, it was not a blind imitation
of the old but an innovation of a uniquely nouveau style amalgamating the old with
something new.
Haldar worked with equal ease in oil, tempera, watercolors and a special technique
that he developed called 'lacsit'-lacquered painting on wood.
"You are not merely a painter but also a poet. Thus your brush pours on both the
'rasas' and when the poet desires a painting he has to foil back on you".
Rabindranath Tagore
1 University of Calcutta,Dept of Museology (2014-2016)
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Art in life is like salt in cooking. A pinch of salt can bring taste or may spoil the taste
of food. The same is equally true about the role played by an artist. In the early years
of the 20th century there was a renewed upsurge of nationalist fervor. In the arts this
resulted in the search and revitalization 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.
This emerged as an influential art movement and a style of Indian painting that
originated in Bengal, primarily Kolkata and Shantiniketan, and flourished throughout
India during the British Raj in the early 20th century. Also known as 'Indian style of
painting' in its early days, it was associated with Indian nationalism (swadeshi).
The artist who creates it and his patron who arranges its materialization have one
thing in common. Their active involvement ends soon after the art work is finished.
The importance of connoisseurs or rasika in Indian terms starts from that point.
Asit Haldar is best known for his mythological subject matter depicted in art and
literature in a narrative style with lyrical fluidity, beauty and grace. He was involved in
projects at Ajanta caves, Bagh and Jogimara caves for copying ancient artworks,
whereby he discovered his own vocation and flair. He subsequently developed a
new technique of lacquering paint on wood known as lacit.
A pillar figure of the Bengal School and Shantiniketan, Asit Kumar Haldar had ties to
the Tagore family. He was born in Jorasanko and had familial ties to Rabindranath
Tagore, who was his grandmother's brother. Haldar was instrumental in establishing
the Kala Bhawan (Art's faculty) at Shantiniketan, where he served as the Principal
from 1911-23, promoting various cultural activities with Rabindranath Tagore.
Many of his works are symbolical and lyrical in nature, due to which he often
illustrated Rabindranath Tagore's literary works and conversely, Tagore's works
often took inspiration from Haldar's work.
"It is freedom when your spirit conjures up a vision from the inert, to illuminate its
every line with the flame of your devotion. You have the magic of life's touch in your
eyes and your dream has come out in a creation in which are made one, my form
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and your delight," said the Nobel Laureate, Rabindranath Tagore of the late Asit
Kumar Haldar's sculptures.
INTRODUCTION OF MORDERN INDIAN PAINTING
Around the mid 18th century, with the disintegration of Mughal Empire, mughal and
Rajput styles were on the wane. Painters who had enjoyed court patronage
scattered around the country. Tanjore, Lucknow, Patna, Murshidabad, Nepal and the
Punjab Hills became their main area of patronage.
At that time a few European painters, such as J. Zoffany, Tilly Kettle, T. Daniell, W.
Daniell and others came to settle in India. These were the artists who introduced a
romanticized Indian landscape through the medium of Indian oil painting. With the
introduction of this academic idiom the art of anonymous Indian Company Painters
evolved, uniquely merging Eastern and Western themes and techniques. In 1854,
the first Industrial Art Society was set up in Calcutta by Rajendralal Mitra, Justice
Pratt, Jatindra Mohan Tagore and others. By 1864, this was converted into the
Calcutta Government College of Art. Soon to follow were the Bombay Government
Art College and the Madras Government College of Arts & Crafts. The fine art
education catered to the European tastes, in terms of themes, and mediums,
perspective, chiaroscuro, portraiture, landscape and still life to name a few. This
academic perspective was not the manner with which the Indian vision had been
fashioned. The influences of the British art school, inspired many talented artists of
that time. Among them Raja Ravi Varma was the first Indian to master the technique
of oil painting. He was one of the first Indians, to be followed by the likes of Hansaji
Raghunath, Pestonjee Bomanji, M.V. Dhurandhar, and later, M.F. Pithwala, A.X.
Trinidade, Hemendranath Mazumdar, Atul Bose and others to master the oil on
canvas technique.
The Bengal School
As reaction to this, some sensitive artist observed and theorized that the revival and
extension of the Indian traditional techniques of making painting can change the
picture of Indian art. At this point, E.B. Havell, with Abanindranath Tagore and others
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created a movement to revive the neglected Indian cultural heritage. In 1896, E.B.
Havell was appointed the Principal of the Calcutta Government School of Art.
Meanwhile he had developed deep likings into Indian Lore and culture. E.B. Havell
was a strong defender of Indian art. “The Orientalist defence and rediscovery of
Indain „finearts‟ particularly Havell‟s campaign and writings, proved vital for
nationalist pride.”1Havell called the Abnindranath to join the school as a vice
principal in 1898. “Under the guidance of Havell, Abnindranath studied the mugal
and rajput school of painting which brought a remarkable change in his style and
technique. He came to realize that Indian art could never attain great heights by
merely adopting European styles.”2 Abanindranath Tagore was the first significant
artist of Modern Indian Art. He was a major exponent of indigenous values in Indian
art. “He founded the movement called Bengal school of art, which led to the
development of Indian 83 painting in the Modern period.” “The origin of the Bengal
art is interwoven with the origin of Indian nationalism. To the extent it can be
discharged as a rebellion in the essence against the Western Art.” “Abnindranath‟s
stylistic experiments had set the stereotype of „Indian-style‟ painting; simultaneously,
in the language of art criticism, the artistic value he highlighted set out the main
criteria of evaluation. The expressiveness of the mood 84 intensive aura of a painting
become the hallmark of its „Indian-ness‟. As Coomaraswamy said “In the
excitements of the battle to rejuvenate Indian art, Abnindrnath„s main focus,
however, was not on „folk‟ but on the „classical‟ canons of the Indian art.”5
The Bengal School tried to merge individual artistic differences by creating images in
Abanindranth‟s artistic lineage though Nandalal and Venkatapa were notable
exceptions with their use of flat colors defined by strong outlines. In Asit Haldar,
Samarendra Gupta and K. Mazumdar, the melancholy and pathos of orientalism was
most pronounced.
ASIT KUMAR HALDER
Halder is an eminent artist born in Calcutta. He was blessed by his father and
grandfather and got admitted in the Government School of Art, Calcutta in 1904 at
the age of 14. As a sculptor Haldar received his education from two famous artists of
Bengal, Jadu Pal and Bakkeswar Pal of Krishnanagar in 1905 and later received
training from Leonard Jennings.
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Asit Kumar Haldar was instrumental in helping Rabindranath Tagore in establishing
Kala Bhavan (Arts Building) in Santiniketan. He was the principal of Kala Bhavan
between the 1911 and 1923 and helped Tagore in promoting cultural activities. He
introduced ritualistic ALPANA designs as a decorative device in social and ceremonial
occasions at Santiniketan. During this period he disseminated his own ideas about
art and inspired several students like Mukul Chnadra Dey, Ramendra Nath
Chakravarti, Direndra Krishna Dev Barman, Binod Bihari Mukherjee and others.
Subsequently, in 1924, he served as the principal of the Maharaja's School of Art
and Crafts in Jaipur.
The art movement of Abanindranath Tagore succeeded to a great extent because of
the assistance rendered by Asit Kumar Haldar, Nandalal Bose and SurendraNath
Ganguli. Haldar, however, distinguished himself from the rest, in his styles and
themes, which was indeed unique in comparison to his other colleagues. Between
the years 1909 and 1921 he made copies of the famous frescoes at Ajanta, Bagh
and Jogimara caves, retaining his own style unaffected.
During his tour abroad in 1923 Haldar realized that the European method of
rendering objects realistically suffered from considerable limitation. In his paintings
the physical attributes of his objects were treated in accordance to the subject
matter. Haldar's Yashoda and Krisna was not merely a religious painting. It is a
representation of the infinity as represented by Krsna and its interaction with the
finite world as represented by Yashoda. Haldar also made thirty-two paintings on the
Buddha's life and thirty paintings on episodes from Indian history, conveying values
and ideas and not mere events. Among Haldar's masterpieces mention may be
made of Krisna and Yashoda, Awakening of Mother India, Rai-Raja, Lotus, Vina,
Kunala and Ashoka, Dan-Lila, Raslila, The Flame of Music, Pronam, The Precious
Gift, The Captive Prince, The Caress, The Negro Princess, etc.
As a tribute to his extraordinary artistic abilities the British government appointed
Haldar the principal of the Government School of Art and Crafts at Lucknow, the first
Indian to be appointed as the principal of a Government Art School. He was also the
first Indian to be elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Art, London (1934). A 'Haldar
Hall' containing a large collection of his paintings was opened at the Allahabad
Museum in 1938. Asit Kumar Haldar died in 1964.
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TECHNIQUE AND STYLE OF HIS PAINTING
Asit Kumar Haldar`s creative imagery is ceaseless. Aspects of Rajput and Pahari
miniature paintings find a way into Haldar's work. The emphasis on detail and
precision in technique and the prominence of mythological, historical and literary
themes in art can all be found in Haldar's work. However, it was not a blind imitation
of the old but an innovation of a uniquely nouveau style amalgamating the old with
something new.
Haldar worked with equal ease in oil, tempera, watercolors and a special technique
that he developed called 'lacit'-lacquered painting on wood.
The use of mythological and literary styles in art gave his works an unprecedented
grace and beauty. He studied European Realism on his visit to Europe in 1923 and
sculpture from Leonard Jennings. He realized that European Realism has several
limitations and sought to balance the spiritual attributes of the subject in proportion to
the physical appearance.
His art is not an abstruse expression pattern; it is value-laden narrative, speaking out
at once its inner meaning to the observer. His art is singularly free of the tendencies
which mark the pseudo-modern contemporary art of India. Haldar`s art edifies the
oriental ideology that lays down the establishment of empathy between the artist and
his beholder and the resultant self-identification of the behold with the work of art.
Though largely drawing from the Indian mythology and ethos, he was responsive to
the happenings with the modern `isms` also. He raised illustrative art in India to level
that had never been achieved before for its languid beauty and strangeness of
conception.
Asit Kumar Halder, the renowned artist was the pioneer of the Renaissance school
of Indian painting. His style of painting dealt with the important episodes in India's
long History of several millenniums from the dawn of civilization in the Indus valley.
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Besides, being a poet artist he was also an art critic of high order. He has so many
specialties as he was a philosopher also. His genius stood out even in the company
of such outstanding artists as Nandalal Bose, Surendranath Ganguly and
Kshitindaranath Majumdar and his talent flowed forth without any limitations. The
vast range of his oeuvres reveals a mind that was keenly aware of both the oriental
and occidental concepts of art. He was a sculptor and a craft-man of consummate
skill as the sculpture Haldar received his education from two famous artists of
Bengal, Jadu Pal and Bakes war pal of Krishna Nagar in 1905 and Later received
training from Leonwd Jennings. The Indian society in London sponsored a visited to
the Ajanta caves for the purpose of copying the fresco so there; Asit Kumar and
copying a number of other students, under the guidance of Himgarian, went there
twice. For the period 1911 to 1915, he was an art teacher at the Santiniketan
vidyalqya. After spending a few years copying jogimara, and Bagh cave painting and
teaching at the Government Art College, he returned to Santiniketan. During his Stay
in Santiniketan he acted in most of the plays by Rabindranath there were stayed. He
designed sets and illustrated a limit edition of Gitanjali Asit Kumar Halder was
instrumental in helping Rabindranath Tagore in establishing Kala Bhavan in
Santiniketan. He was the principal of Kala Bhavan between the years 1911 and 1923
and helped Tagore in promoting cultural activities. He introduced ritualistic Alpana
designs as a decorative device in social and ceremonial occasions at Santiniketan.
During this period he disseminated his own ideas about art and inspired several
students like Mukul Chandra Day, Ramendra Nath Chakervarti, Direndra Krishna
Dev Barman, Vinod Bihari Mukheijee and others.''In 1923, he went on a study tour
through England, France and Germany. During his tour abroad in 1923 Haldar
realized that the European method of rendering objects realistically suffered from
considerable limitation.
On his return, he became the principal of the Maharaja's school of Arts and crafts.
Jaunpur, where he remanded for a year before moving to the Maharaja's School of
Arts and craft in Lucknow, which he built up along with Blreshwasen and later,
became its principal. Halder has applied his brush in almost intruder fields of artistic
creation, but his mastery of technique has enabled him to sub clue the intractable
material to his own artistic purpose. Rabindranath Tagaore has said of Halder in a
letter to him "you are not merelya painter but also a poet. Thus your brush pours on
both the 'rasas' and when the poet desires a painting he has to foil back on you". The
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talent of Asit Kumar Halder inclines towards the romantic, but his technical
competence in unequal to his sensibility. While his pictures are informed by a
rhythmical movement and subtlety of line, they are only limited as significant
architectural forms. His basic impulsion, the heritage of classical Indian painting,
induced an early stream of mythological and idyllic pieces, but their pictorial import
was only secondary to their emotional appeal. His early output was heavily accented
in the maimed of the Bengal school, with allegorical content: a picture of a forlorn
mendicant, in the darkening gloom of a setting sun, is labeled "His Heritage", while in
the "Old and the New" and in the "Cycle of spring", withered old and budding
childhood are contrasted with too obvious effects; a desolate mother ,condemned to
an inglorious life draws to her bosom a hapless infant in "Fallen on Evil Days" and a
sinuous woman, half- obscured by an enveloping cloud, personifies "Nature
Mysterious". These efforts at transparent or labored symbolism are of little
consequence aesthetically; as organization of significant forms they are jejune. Nor
are his mythological pieces inspired by exalted formal or emotive conceptions; his
"Hara Parvati" is a singularly drab performance, marred by in different drawing, and
his "Kacha and Devayani", provoking an immediate comparison with Abanindranath
Tagore's famous fresco on the same theme, is definitely the poorer picture. As an
example of his linear and schematic qualities, his early "Baul" in symptomatic of his
as imagination, this falls short of adequate pictorial expression. He was a fine writer
and. wrote excellent poetry a focally rare in a painter and which contributed greatly to
the richness and imagination of his pictorial representation of the "Rubbayat" of
Omar Khayyam. His great uncle, the poet Rabindranath was one of the first to
descend poetic genius of his nephew and complimented him again and again on the
beauty of his verses. In some of his earliest and best works mostly big pencils are
the collection of Mr. Debendranath Tagore of Calcutta. In early style of his career he
made so many copies of the paintings at Ajanta, Bagh and Jogimara using tempera
oil or water colours, which ever suited to the as his medium. In process he also
discovered a special technique lacquered painting on wood also known as lacsit.''
Ajanta copied with the artist's own lyrical nature and romantic feeling. "The Flame of
Music" was one of his creative masterpieces. He has immortalized of the samples,
their folk dance and their simple beauty in his many several of "-Rasleela" and
Rairaja' which show the lyrical sweetness of his composition, Kirshna and his
compositions are seen her engaged in entertaining Radha who is seated on a
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Charpai, with a half glowing joy, attended by her maids. The dancing figure of
Krishna with his flute and his drum beating companions are drawn with power and
vitality, there is why then and movement in every one of their steps the alter
simplicity of this painting is compelling. Of equal merit and of the same techniques
and style are his other companion pictures "Krishnaleela", "The blind son of Asoka"
and "Rama Guha" both sub line in their simplicity of pictorial story telling. The
tragedy of the one is as much touching as the devotion of the other. His "Moon and
Lotus" is after the Japanese style, and in this kind of art he was quite at home. His
sensitive studies of Umar Khayyam in delicately tented colours drawing are as good
as those of Tagore's and certainly superior to most of the various one seen in
European art. Haldar also made thirty paintings on the Buddha's life and thirty
paintings on episodes from in his paintings the physical attribute of his objects were
treated in accordance to the subject matter. Haldar's Yashoda and Kirshna was not
merely a religious painting. It is a representation of the infinity as represented by
Krishna and its interaction with the finite World as represented by Yashoda. Indian
History conveying values and ideas and not mere events. His books on art,
translation of Sanskrit classes, his poems songs and essays bear evidence of his
versatility. He was the first Indian to be elected Fellow of the Royal Society of arts,
London. In his book Ravitirthhe has acknowledge his debt to Rabindranath Tagore
and Santiniketan in helping to establish him as an artist. During his stay in
Santiniketan he also acted in most of the plays by Rabindranath that were staged."
So his art is no an abstruse expression of inarticulate pattern, it is a value-laden
narrative; speaking its inner meaning to the observer.
Inspiration of Mythological Subject Matter
In 1909, Haldar along with Nandalal Bose was invited by Christina Her ringham, a
British expert on mural techniques, to copy the cave paintings at Ajanta. Apart from
the fluid and lyrical beauty of the subjects, the concept of depicting a narrative in art
had a massive impact on Haldar. Subsequently, he undertook similar expeditions at
the Buddhist caves of Bagh and Jogimara, copying frescoes while retaining his own
distinctive style. Drawing upon the rich cultural heritage of India, he painted 32
paintings based on Buddha, thirty canvases on episodes from Indian history,
illustrations of Omar Khayyam's verses as well as his deeply spiritual interpretations
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of Mahabharata. This diversified and unique understanding of Indian history and
mythology brought him to the attention of both critics and public.
In this respect Halder's art is like aster‟s or a poet's vision, which enriches the soul,
inspires the mind and ennobles the ignoble. Rabindranath Tagore often found
inspiration from the themes of Halder's sensitive brush drawings of lyrical scenes
from village life, while composing his immortal songs. Through the early part of his
career he was associated with the Indian Society of originate art the held his first
solo show then exhibited with them in other Indian cities and at the festival of empire
at the crystal place (1911), In Indian art.1914, the American Federation of Art. Asit
Kumar Halder died in Lucknow on 13 February 1964.His death brings to close a
glorious nostalgic chapter of empty of Indian art.
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CONCLUSION
The fact that the vast majority of those studying art in the 50s were at Western
countries contributed to the creation of this new climate. On their return to India after
completing their studies, these artists looked to the future with the almost sole intent
of harmonizing their artistic vocabularies with those prevailing on the international art
scene. They questioned the conventional, introduced new modes of116expression,
new techniques, and new materials .The new concepts which prevailed gave new
directions to art. Indian artists were influenced by doctrine and technique prevalent in
the western art. Changes in the economic environment and socio-political advance
event had its influence on the Indian artistic scene. Artist came to know that a
section of viewers and artists have been inspired by the display of colors in the place
of representational human figures. In this period no any artist practiced abstraction it
the full length and discourse. Some Indian artists stylized Indian tradition with the
norms of western modernism and many other significant artists turned towards the
early twentieth century developments in abstraction for their inspiration. The birth of
modern Indian art and the abstract forms could be attributed to several social and
environmental conditions that the country endured and which was well brought out
by many artists of this period.
Indian painting reached almost a dead end towards the close of the 19th century the
late Mughal and Pahari painting schools had both exhausted their validity .In short
arid lack of spirit and mare formalism pervaded Indian art at that time. In reaction
Indian creativity began to stair again in the late19thand early 20th century. It was not
yet the beginning of a new national art but at least an interpretation of Indian life and
vision through Indian eyes.
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LIST OF MASTER PIECES OF ASIT HALDER
1. Woman and the tree, Kejriwal Collection, gouache on paper
2. Untitled (Krishna), 1940-49, gouache on paper
3. Swing and Song, gouache on paper
4. Black princess (study), oil on canvas
5. The Procession, pencil and watercolor
6. Mother, oil on board
7. Swing and Song (+mother; pair) ,oil on wood
8. Maiden in love, gouache on paper
9. Spirit of nature, tempera on board
10. Mother and child, watercolor
11. Daily bread, watercolor on board
12. Court scene- Huien Tsang talking to Emperor Harsh of Kanauj, watercolor
13. Dhruva published in Myths of the Hindus & Buddhists, 1914, watercolor on paper
14. Young Krishna being fed by Yashoda, water color
15. Untitled, watercolor on paper
16. Lady seated under tree, Watercolour on paper
17. Rhythm and light, Gouache on paper
18. Untitled, watercolor on paper
19. Untitled, watercolor on paper
20. Discord, oil on board
21. Untitled, oil on board
22. A Mystery, 1940, Watercolour on paper pasted
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Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, twelve illustrations by Asit Kumar Haldar, foreword by
E.B. Havell, Allahabad, Indian Press, 1930. Original cloth portfolio with tipped-in
plates on loose mounts as issued together with a sixteen page ribbon-bound booklet
of Khayyam‟s quatrains. There are twelve colour plates tipped-in on individual thick
cardboard sheets with tissue guards bearing the relevant quatrain in red.
"Haldar's art is like a seer's or a poet's vision, which enriches the soul, inspires the
mind and ennobles the ignoble..." reprinted from Mukti Mitra.
Halder made twelve paintings from Omar Khayyam. This series of four works
presented here fall under his illustrative style. Each work narrates part of a story, the
characters, architecture and landscape clearly set in Persia, with touches of colour
bringing depth to the simple compositions and fine contours of the stylized forms.
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Krishna (untiteled)
The extra large haloes surrounding Radha and Krishna highlight this very tender and
romantic setting that could only be in paradise. Krishna plays the eternal love song
on his flute as Radha sits compassionately beside him, her gaze saying it all from
limitless adoration to unconditional worship. Asit Kumar Haldar captures the
tenderness of their relationship that is clearly palpable in the warmth of the colours.
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Maiden in Love
Gouache on paper
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THE PROCESSION
With Ajanta as artistic inspiration, Haldar created a series of narrative paintings on
the History of India and the Life of the Buddha. He also painted narrative scenes
from the Hindu epics, such as this painting which possibly depicts a scene from the
Hindu Epic the Ramayana.
The present work shows Bharata returning from the forest with his attendants,
carrying his brother's sandals on his head with utmost care and respect. For a
comparable work by the artist, titled Kunal and Asoka, dated to circa 1919.
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Swing and Song
Oil on board
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Mother
oil on board, signed in monogram and perhaps dated indistinctly lower left, inscribed
on the reverse T. G. Civil Lines, Lucknow in English, and in nagari script.
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Black Princes
Oil on canvas
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Asit Haldar, Young Krishna being fed by Yashoda, water colour
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References
1. Thakurta, Tapati Guha, The making of a new „Indian‟ art, Cambridge
UniversityPress, Britain, 1992, p.199
2. Mago, PranNath, Contemporary Indain Art – Perspective, National Booktrust, New
Delhi, p. 28
3. Onians, John, Bengal School - Atlas of World Art, Laurence King Publishing,
2004, p. 304.
4. Tagore, Sidharth, The Bengal School of Art: Revisited, Bengal and Beyond ExC.,
India Habitate Center, New Delhi, 2005, p. 2.
5. Ibid., p. 203
6. Halder, Kr, Asit, Shilpokatha: Patralekha, September, 2015.
7. Halder kumar Asit, Nanand Shampur Dr, Mukherjee Kumar Radha Dr: Culture at a
Glance Text and Thirty Illustration, Lucknow, 1996, p.l.
8. Lekha RM, All India Fine Arts and Craft Society, Raj Marg, Vol. xxiv,
1&2,28March, 1997,New Delhi, p.60.