Artists in India have weaved an amalgamation of expressive visual culture. The Pre-Independence period in India witnessed artists developing contemporary styles. The colonial rule encouraged engagement between traditional and modern techniques. Painters recognised the demand for this hybrid visual format and delineated images, suggesting encounters with various geographical, social and cultural distinctions in the state. The idea of documentation through the lens of Britain’s political landscape was arguable. Emerging art school unfavoured drawing inspiration from Europe whilst artisanal practices in rural spaces reflected the influence of European art movements. Artists who approved of this influence and those who discouraged it will be discussed.
European movements and Indian traditions
The impressionist and realist movement with a dint of naturalism paved their way in the work of a young female artist. Amrita Sher-Gil executed the most admirable combination of Eastern and Western paintings ( Khan 68 ). Mundane routines to eventful activities, Sher-Gil established deep-seated meanings in her impressions. She lyrically arranged all the elements in her compositions. Social issues, like women rights and deprivation, were recurring themes across her body of work. She politicised these discussions through her artistic convictions and brought a sense of truthfulness. Post-impressionism and modernism were essential nuances that eventually brought together the perspective of Indian modern art; Amrita Shergil advanced this movement.
Raja Ravi Verma encompassed principles of naturalism and western realism in his paintings. Tanjore paintings and classical performing arts in South India influenced his style substantially. His naturalistic depictions of Hindu deities in oil on canvas achieved international fame (Garcia and Henderson 66). He consistently presented narratives from regional folklore like Mahabharata and Ramayana. Ravi Verma recognised unvoiced thoughts as an outlander yet communicated this with profound closeness in paintings. Gradually, his involvement with western academic art overshadowed Indian sensibility in his work.
As nationalism grew and the moral culture of brotherhood (Tagore 91) found direction, the need for an authentic Indian art movement became evident.
Pioneering an Indian identity through art
The Bengal Art School progressed towards restoration and elaboration of regional influences like Pahari, Mughal and Deccani paintings. Nandalal Bose unified this movement with the establishment of academic Indian modernism. An educational outlook reconciled dialogue with vestiges of art styles fragmented across the colonised state. Kala Bhavana- the first independent fine art institute of India- was administered by Bose. Kala Bhavana may be seen as the final culmination of the modern expression of Indian art that was kickstarted by the Bengal School (Kumar). In addition, Nandalal Bose illustrated the constitution. The task assisted in encouraging political inclinations and maximised the possibility for an authentic Indian style. Institutionalising an art movement curtailed European academic ideals and significantly limited the influence of Western art developments.
Abindranath Tagore moulded the Indian traditional art movement and illuminated eastern cultural interpretations. He created tasteful layouts that holistically represented diverse identities. The composition of one of his paintings was inspired by Rajput painting and the Persian-like calligraphy surrounded by cloud-borders was inspired by Mughal painting (Kumar 38). A notable feature of his style is how he combines form and subject matter; the development of “aesthetic secularization” involved in the presentation is prominent (Cohen 18). Tagore gained considerable traction and firmly stirred away from European influences.
Conclusively, foreign art movements created an atmosphere of introspection, leading Indian artists to direct their unique voices. These external influences offered room to experiment and practice. Independent endeavours and collaborative spaces ventured commentary on the Indian state. Reevaluating concepts like freedom and liberty became regular deliberations. Different styles of visual arts were questioned or validated, which created space and time for establishing new academic norms. Surrealism and Rabindranath Tagore, Cubism and Gagendranath, Modernism and Jamini Roy; these artists translated different nuances through European art movements. Consciously perceiving this influence communicated varied indigenous tones.
Works Cited
Darakhshan Khan. “Amrita Shergil- A new era in contemporary Indian Art.” 20 May 1997, ir.amu.ac.in/3390/1/T%205867.pdf.
Carol E. Henderson. “Culture and Customs of India.” Greenwood Press, 30 June 2002.
Rabindranath Tagore. “Nationalism.” Fingerprint! Publishing, 1 September 2015.
R. Siva Kumar. “Santiniketan: The Making of a Contextual Modernism.” New Delhi: National Gallery of Modern Art, 1997.
Jasmin Cohen. “Nationalism and Painting in Colonial Bengal.” (2012). Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection, 1646.
digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/1646.
