Important Notice

Rabindranath Tagore's achievements go beyond his prolific contributions to art and literature, beyond what he is instantly associated with. The Nobel laureate was born in an affluent Bengali family in 1861 and developed an acute sensitivity towards the arts: music, poetry, literature, and dance. His journey as a painter only began in his sixties. Most artists remember Tagore today for his versatile genius and revolutionary style as an artist;... Rabindranath Tagore's achievements go beyond his prolific contributions to art and literature, beyond what he is instantly associated with. The Nobel laureate was born in an affluent Bengali family in 1861 and developed an acute sensitivity towards the arts: music, poetry, literature, and dance. His journey as a painter only began in his sixties. Most artists remember Tagore today for his versatile genius and revolutionary style as an artist; his ability to trace cultural trends internationally and, most notably, for founding Santiniketan. In 1901, Tagore founded Santiniketan as a reactionary school against the British colonial academic model in Bengal. Created principally as an intellectual retreat with an objective to connect India's literary and artistic aesthetics to the country's heritage and folk art, it was the first of its kind. A mentor, inspiration and role model for many artists the world-over, Tagore has been depicted by many acclaimed Indian artists, including M.F. Husain, Mukul Dey, Chittaprosad Bhattacharya, W. Rothenstein, Boris Georgiev, Ram Kinkar Baij. Here, Jogen depart's from his usual styles to pay a tribute to the polymath.

Jogen Chowdhury's concern is primarily humanity; the figures create the tension in his work. He was strongly influenced by expressionism as means of self-expression and folk arts of Bengal. Lines have consistently been skeletal in Chowdhury's artistic practice: they tangle and weave into webs and spin into sensuous arabesques turns. His freedom in compositional choice is evident in the present lot, where he represents Tagore from four different angles, with distinct line choices. While notable for the craftsmanship this work displays, it acquires an intimacy to the legacy of Shantiniketan, where Chowdhury lives and works. Having commented in Calcutta's Telegraph Newspaper on June 24, 2012, he explains, "I shifted to Santiniketan in 1987, and joined Visva-Bharati as a Reader in painting. Till then, I had worked in Delhi from 1972 at Rashtrapati Bhavan as the art keeper… Rabindranath Tagore's philosophy, values and way of life always inspired me, and I took up my new assignment with great enthusiasm and missionary zeal."

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