Painter Nandalal Bose was born on this day. He is considered one of the most important modern Indian artists.
Traditional Indian art, such as the Ajanta murals, and the Tagore family, particularly Abanindranath Tagore, were major influences on his art.
The Constitution of India illustrated by Bose is a remarkable work.
After trying to study in the mainstream college system, he took admission at the Government School of Art, Kolkata, where he was taught by Abanindranath and E.B. Havell. Later his exposure to Japanese art and his subsequent visits to China and Japan influenced his work deeply.
In 1923, he was heading Kala Bhavana in Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan. Rabindranath encouraged him to think about a modern, original Indian art. Among his students were Ramkinkar Baij and Benode Behari Mukherjee, who became eminent artists later.
Bose’s linocut image of Gandhi is famous. His illustrations of Rabindranath’s Sahaj Path are reproduced everywhere today, including on restaurant exteriors. Sati is another of Bose’s well-known works.
He received the Padma Vibhushan and many other awards.
