In the early part of the 20th century the British colonial rule and continued propaganda of so called British critics and painters made the people believe that there was no merit to Indian traditional art and no heritage of their own. The English educated Indian people, who had come to dominate society, came to believe it and tend to measure success by European standards. The feudal rulers of India and their courts were completely swept by English culture and joined denigrating Indian culture. The perversity and Victorian prudery reached such as a state that in some of the princely states the picture of lord Shiva was painted wearing European dress and lord Krishna driving a phaeton with friends. Along with the Europeans, English educated Indians too, started thinking that there was nothing but eroticism in Indian art.
It was at this juncture that some great painters like Raja Ravi Verma, Abanindranath Tagore and others were making endeavor to revive self-respect for Indian art.
Abinindranth Tagore learned Japanese water technique and European watercolor technique and created a wash technique. Enlightened Europeans such as E.B. Havell, the principal of government art school at Calcutta and Sister Nivedita supported Indian art. A group of Bengal artist gave birth to a new painting style based on old traditional painting under the guidance of Abinindeanth Tagore. The style developed by him was taken up by many of his students and others who formed as nationalist art movement often called the Bengal school. This rebirth of Indian art spread all over the country and experimented with foreign technique with Indian tradition. Indian art became respectful under the influence of mainly E.B.Havell and Abinindranth Tagore.
Bengal artist gave a sense of direction to the first art movement of the country. They sowed the confidence in the traditional values and rich heritage of Indian art by giving the Indians a new cultural consciousness. The Bengal artists adopted a new Japanese watercolor technique called wash- hallmark of Bengal school. Bengal painters were inspired by-Ajanta and Bagh, Mughal and Rajput, and shilpasastra, chinese cloth painting and Japanese woodcut were fused with themes mostly from Indian mythology and religion, epics and classical literature. The themes most often seen are misty and romantic visions of Indian landscapes, historical Scenes, portraits as well as anecdotes and incidents from daily life in the countryside. The colors are soft without shadow and conventional perspective giving a mystic sense of space and atmosphere and diluting the impact of color. The Bengal painters introduced linear delicacy rhythm and grace of Ajanta.
Notable artists of Bengal school are Asit Haldar, M.A.R. Chughtai, Sunayni Devi, Kshitindranath Majumdar, Nandlal Bose, etc.
It was at this juncture that some great painters like Raja Ravi Verma, Abanindranath Tagore and others were making endeavor to revive self-respect for Indian art.
Abinindranth Tagore learned Japanese water technique and European watercolor technique and created a wash technique. Enlightened Europeans such as E.B. Havell, the principal of government art school at Calcutta and Sister Nivedita supported Indian art. A group of Bengal artist gave birth to a new painting style based on old traditional painting under the guidance of Abinindeanth Tagore. The style developed by him was taken up by many of his students and others who formed as nationalist art movement often called the Bengal school. This rebirth of Indian art spread all over the country and experimented with foreign technique with Indian tradition. Indian art became respectful under the influence of mainly E.B.Havell and Abinindranth Tagore.
Bengal artist gave a sense of direction to the first art movement of the country. They sowed the confidence in the traditional values and rich heritage of Indian art by giving the Indians a new cultural consciousness. The Bengal artists adopted a new Japanese watercolor technique called wash- hallmark of Bengal school. Bengal painters were inspired by-Ajanta and Bagh, Mughal and Rajput, and shilpasastra, chinese cloth painting and Japanese woodcut were fused with themes mostly from Indian mythology and religion, epics and classical literature. The themes most often seen are misty and romantic visions of Indian landscapes, historical Scenes, portraits as well as anecdotes and incidents from daily life in the countryside. The colors are soft without shadow and conventional perspective giving a mystic sense of space and atmosphere and diluting the impact of color. The Bengal painters introduced linear delicacy rhythm and grace of Ajanta.
Notable artists of Bengal school are Asit Haldar, M.A.R. Chughtai, Sunayni Devi, Kshitindranath Majumdar, Nandlal Bose, etc.