UNIT : 3 – The Bengal School and Cultural Nationalism

The Bengal School of Painting was a groundbreaking art movement that emerged in the early 20th century as a reaction against Western academic styles. Spearheaded by artists such as Abanindranath Tagore, it sought to revive India’s artistic heritage by drawing inspiration from Mughal, Rajput, and Ajanta paintings. This style is characterized by soft colors, fluid lines, and spiritual themes, playing a vital role in the development of modern Indian art. As a significant topic in CBSE Class 12 Fine Arts, understanding the Bengal School enables students to appreciate its influence on Indian nationalism and artistic expression.

I. The Bengal School of Painting

Origin  And  Development

• Nationalist thinking that the Bengal School of Art emerged in the first decade of the 20th century.
• A new style of painting was flourished in Bengal with the mixture of Indian and several Asian styles; which was known as Bengal school of art.
• The art school of Bombay, Calcutta, Madras and Lahore which has been established by British where the art education used to be given in western style. It became troublesome and wretched expressing our views and ideas for Indian style of paintings.
• Abanindranath enjoyed the support of British administrator and principal of the Calcutta School of Art, E. B. Havell. Both Abanindranath and Havell were inconsolable colonial Art Schools and the manner in which European taste in art was being imposed on Indians.
• The year 1896 was important in the Indian history of visual arts. E. B. Havell and Abanindranath Tagore saw a need to Indianize art education in the country. Tempera and wash painting technique was introduced by Abanindranath Tagore as a new technique in India which was a mixture of Indian traditional painting along with Japanese and Chinese painting.
• Among his students the most well-known were Nandalal Bose, Surendranath Kar, Asit Haldhar, Kshitendranath Mazumdar, K Venkatappa and many others. The group was unique because of their distinct style different from European naturalism. Beauty of Indian art spreader all over the world. Kala Bhavana was India’s first national art school.

Technique And Subject Matter

• E.B. Havell motivated and inspired Abanindranath to study the technique used in Mughal, Rajasthani, Pahari and Ajanta paintings to create a new style, A group of Bengal artists created a renaissance under the guidance and headship of Abanindranath Tagore.
• This movement is succeeded in awakening the young painters from the strong influence of British naturalism and classical Western art. Historical painting, Religious Painting, episode from classical Indian literature, Social life, flora and fauna has been depicted enormously in wash and Tempera painting style.
• Modern art in India can be best understood as a result of the conflict between colonialism and nationalism. Colonialism introduced new institutions of art like art schools, exhibition galleries, art magazines and art societies.
• Nationalist artists, while accepting these changes, continued to assert more Indian taste in art and even accepted a larger Asian identity for a while. This legacy was going to leave a deep impact on the later history of modern Indian art. Therefore, it will keep moving from internationalism, i.e., draw ideas from the West, and indigenous, i.e., to be true to one’s own legacy and tradition.

CBSE Class 12 Fine Arts Syllabus 2024-2025 PDF

Main Features Of Bengal School

• Bengal painters have tried to introduce linear delicacy, rhythm and grace of Ajanta in their paintings to the best of their ability.
• The figures are delicate and graceful.
• Wash technique has been used in order to bring harmony in the painting.
• The Impact of Indian traditional painting style can be seen in these paintings, which proves that the root of this style is there underneath Indian miniature.
• The rhythms of the human and animal figures give an extra ordinary pleasure to eye.

BENGAL – PAINTINGS

(very important table**)

Journey’s End

Artist – Abanindranath Tagore
School – Bengal School
Medium – Watercolour on paper
Technique – Wash and Tempera
Subject Matter – In this painting, a collapsed camel is shown in red background of dusk and in that sense it personifies the end of a journey through the end of a day.

Description –
Painted in 1913, it is an episode that invites sympathetic look. The pain and suffering of the dumb animal can be clearly seen in the half opened eye of the camel. There is an impression of desert with the sunset giving a very mystical effect to the whole composition.

In the background, wash technique is used with red, brown and a bit of yellow; giving an effect of sunset. The same combination of colour has been extended to the foreground adding dark tint of blue for the stones. Whereas tired camel is just about to fall on the stony ground. The expression of camel face is tremendous.

Collection – National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi

CBSE Class 12 Fine Art NCERT Textbook

Shiv and Sati

Artist – Nandalal Bose
School – Bengal School
Medium – Watercolour on paper
Technique – Wash and Tempera
Subject Matter – This painting of Nandalal Bose depicting a mythological episode of lord Shiva and his spouse Sati (Parvati) where Sati is lying unconsciously on Shiva’s knees.

Description –
The artist is a master of lines and is equally adept in smoothness and tone. Varied shades of brown and yellow have been used to depict sky in the background which is merging with rising and falling shape by using shades of violet, brown and white to show the earth.

The painting has lord Shiva is in sitting pose with a sad face, stretching his both arms to hold his wife’s body that is unconsciously laying on his left knee. Sati is shown with pale face. Her eyes are closed, wearing necklace, earring, armlet and bracelet. Her saree is light shade of red is loosely covering her and also spread around. Shiva’s forehead is shown brightly with white colour. His hair is tied with bun on the top and spread at the back. Behind his head, a halo of light yellow colour is radiating. He is wearing a necklace and snake is also there around his neck.

Collection – National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi

Radhika

Artist – Mohammed Abdul Rahman Chugutai
School – Bengal School
Medium – Watercolour on paper
Technique – Wash and Tempera
Subject Matter – This painting gives a deeper sensuous quality. The character is drawn gracefully, with a lyrical quality of calligraphy in every line. It is as if a poem finds visual form.

Description –
M.A.R. Chugutai is the last artist from Chugutai family lived in Lahore. He was the direct descendant of of Ustad Ahmad Lahuri the chief architect of Emperor Shah Jahan.

The painting Radhika is a poetic creation full of beauty and imagination to evoke a sense of pleasure on the beholder. This is a fine detailed painting of Radha shown as delicate, flexible, graceful and lovelorn in profile. She is shown in the romantic posture, delicately bending her neck down, cheek resting on her left hand and in the right hand she is shown holding a big lotus flower on which a bumblebee (bhanwra) is sitting. In the background a decorative lamp is shown with flame.

Orange, red, and purple colours are beautifully mixed and the same colours are used in the figure of Radha. Radha is shown wearing blouse of orange colour, lahnga of purple colour and ordhni of yellow colour.

Collection – National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi

Meghdoot

Artist – Ram Gopal Vijayvargiya
School – Bengal School
Medium – Watercolour on paper
Technique– Wash and Tempera
Subject Matter – This art work is taken from the series of Meghdoot paintings. It is based on the lyrical poem Meghdutum written in Sanskrit by Kalidas.

Description –
The Meghdoot means the Cloud Messenger. Here artist depicted the thought; how a Yaksha after being excelled for a year to central India convinced the passing cloud to take a message to his wife Alka to Mount Kailash, where she is awaited for his return.

In this painting, Yaksha is shown sitting and writing a letter to his wife on the palm leaf which he wants the cloud messenger to hand over to his wife. Clouds are beautifully drawn in the painting. Yaksha is placed in the centre in yellow colour dhoti and white duppata.
Landscape in the painting is very effective. Fluttering garments and trees and plants suggest the strength of the wind. Lots of rocks and a hut are also shown in the background. A water stream is shown in the foreground.

Collection – National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi

II. National Flag Of India & Its Symbolic Significance

The National Flag of India, commonly referred to as the Tiranga, represents the nation’s sovereignty, unity, and vibrant cultural heritage. It was officially adopted on July 22, 1947, and features three horizontal stripes—saffron, white, and green—with the Ashoka Chakra at its center. Each color and the chakra carry profound symbolic meanings, signifying courage, peace, growth, and righteousness. Grasping the significance of the flag is crucial, as it reflects the principles of democracy, freedom, and national pride.

Indian National Flag : Evolution

First : August 7, 1906

The first national flag in India is said to have been hoisted on August 7, 1906, in the Parsee Bagan Square (Green Park) in Calcutta. The flag was composed of three horizontal strips of red, yellow and green.

The green stripe at the top composed with eight white lotuses represents the eight provinces of British India. The words Vande Mataram was written in deep blue on the middle yellow stripe are in Devanagri script, the slogan of the Indian National Congress.

The red stripe at the bottom had the crescent moon and a star in white on right side and the sun in white on left side.

Second: 1921

During the session of the All India Congress Committee at Bezwada in 1921 (now Vijayawada) an Andhra youth Pingali Venkayya prepared a flag and took it to Gandhiji. It was made up of two colours-red and green– representing the two major communities i.e. Hindus and Muslims.

Gandhiji suggested the addition of a white strip to represent the remaining communities of India and the spinning wheel to symbolize progress of the Nation.

Third: July 22, 1947

On July 22, 1947, the Constituent Assembly adopted it as Free India National Flag. After the advent of Independence, the colours and their significance remained the same as horizontal tricolour — deep saffron at the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom. Only the Dharma Charkha of Emperor Asoka was adopted in place of the spinning wheel on white middle stripe of the flag. The Dharma Charkha is in deep blue consisting with 24 spokes.

Symbolic Significance :- (Very Important)
Saffron: Courage and Sacrifice
White: Truth and Peace
Green: Faith and chivalry
Dharma charka (The Wheel of Law): Progress of our Nation 24 Spokes in Dharma charka: 24 hours progress

Read Class 12 Finearts Notes for your Board Exam – Read Now!

Contribution Of Indian Artists In The Struggle For National Freedom Movement

On the rising of nationalist movement which was looking for art as a vehicle for spreading the idea of Swaraj. Abanindranath Tagore amboded with the high political feeling of that time in the form of Bharat Mata. A woman was painted like a Hindu deity however instead of the divine attributes she carries in her four hands the emblem of the common men’s dream. A piece of cloth, a manuscript, a branch of paddy rice and a Rudraksha garland holding in her hands. She has a hello behind her head and a Lotus bloom at her feet.

In 1938 Mahatma Gandhi invited Nandalal Bose to decorate the Congress pavilion at Haripura session. Nandalal Bose design the Congress village decorate the huts of volunteers with colourful posters.

These are depicting the life of common Bengali villagers. Earlier Mahatma Gandhi had requested Nandalal to set up an art exhibition at the Lucknow session in 1936. Also decorated the township Faizpur Congress session in 1937. These brought him close contact with Indian nationalist movement.

S. No	Topic	Link
1	The Rajasthani Schools of Painting	Click Here
2	The Pahari Schools of Painting	Click Here
3	The Mughal School of Miniature Painting	Click Here
4	The Deccan Schools of Painting	Click Here
5	The Bengal School of Painting	Click Here
6	The Modern Trends in Indian Art	Click Here

The greatest contribution of the artist was spreading the idea of educated people in their rich cultural heritage; awaken them away from the thoughtless British art and western cultural influencers. Thus, the founder of Bengal School succeeded in bring the painters, sculptors, poets and musician in the mainstream of nationalist movement.

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