Most Read

Tagore's unique visual art in Nisar Hossain's view

19 August 2005, 18:00 PM
LIFESTYLE
By Fayza Haq
19 August 2005, 18:00 PM
Art-work by Tagore
Nisar Hossain, Associate Professor of the Department of Fine Arts, Dhaka University, speaking about Tagore says, "We are acquainted with Tagore's paintings and sketches from 1924 onwards. When he was in Argentina, writing poems forPurobi,Tagore made corrections along the margins and from these developed doodles which eventually became sketches. He had tried his hand at fine arts earlier on in 1900, when he wrote in a letter that he was trying to draw. Tagore joked that Raphael, the famous Renaissance painter, had nothing to fear from him. At that time his pictures were conventional and stylised. Some people finds an amazing and dramatic change in his later work."

In the interim period, says Nisar, he was hobnobbing with the Bengal School and its experimentation. The Bengal School artists were gradually getting out of rigid dictates and Tagore was naturally influenced by their thoughts even though he didn't paint himself that time. He was involved with interactions with Japanese painters, says Nisar, and "Bichitra Society" along with Abanindranath and Gaganendranath in the north veranda of "Thakurbari".

"The new painting movement was linked with the patriotic 'Swadeshi' movement. Tagore studied every progress and change of Abanindranath and Gaganendranath. Thus he had a good concept of visual art. This of course was combined with the impact of the Japanese artists, when he remarked about the beauty of minimisation by Japanese artists. When in England, he was influenced by Stella Cambridge, an art critic, whom he invited to the Kala Bhaban of Shantiniketan. Cambridge had lectured on subjects ranging from Gothic to Dadaism which were discussed again at Shantiniketan. Tagore repeatedly advised the move for something new and with the times. According to Tagore, 'If painting was my subject I would have showed the world,'" says Nisar.

Google News LinkFor all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.

Tagore was bent on doing something unique in the world of fine arts, going by his letters to his friends and family. He told people not to fear having to leave behind some of our traditions. "One should not be like a stagnating pond," he advised. "In my style and form I am adventurous as I'm not a trained artist," Tagore once remarked about himself to William Rodenstein, an expert on art.

Conceptually, however, Tagore had full knowledge of all the art movements around the world in the early 20th century. In his writing and music he was influenced by many elements that related to the arts. He may not have the conventional maturity or boldness of a painter who had begun young. His simplicity, innocence and naiveté added a quality beyond compare. Just as artists like Picasso were more effective when they moved to primitive art, the breaking away from normality and rationality lead to Tagore's lines and composition being of remarkable originality and purity. "In his writings and music Tagore had great fame but they too had a certain limitation of conventionality (which Tagore was fully aware of) -- which his paintings and sketches didn't."