| Medium | : | Drawing, Ink |
|---|---|---|
| Surface | : | Paper |
| Height | : | 27.75 inch / 70.5 cm |
| Width | : | 19.5 inch / 49.5 cm |
| Style | : | Figurative Drawings, Figurative Paintings |
| Dimension | : | W: 49.5 cm × H: 70.5 cm |
A delicate and contemplative drawing depicting a veena-holding female figure standing on a lotus pedestal, framed by flowing floral motifs. Rendered with Nandalal Bose’s signature simplicity and elegance, the artwork captures the spirit of Indian classical tradition while conveying a sense of grace, wisdom, and divine serenity.
Nandalal Bose | Untitled | Drawing on Paper | 27.75 x 19.5 inches (This lot is a National Art Treasure – Non Exportable Item)
This graceful drawing by Nandalal Bose beautifully reflects the artist’s deep appreciation for Indian mythology, spirituality, and classical aesthetics. The artwork portrays a serene female figure, likely inspired by the goddess Saraswati, standing elegantly upon a lotus pedestal while gently holding a veena. Delicate floral vines frame the composition, creating a harmonious balance between the divine figure and the natural world.
Executed with remarkable economy of line, the drawing demonstrates Nandalal Bose’s mastery of simplicity and expression. Every curve and contour flows effortlessly, giving the figure a sense of movement, grace, and inner calm. The absence of elaborate shading allows the purity of the linework to shine, emphasizing the spiritual essence of the subject rather than material detail.
The artwork embodies the ideals of the Bengal School, where traditional Indian artistic heritage was reimagined through a modern lens. Its refined elegance and meditative quality make it a timeless piece that celebrates knowledge, creativity, music, and devotion. Whether viewed as a spiritual symbol or an example of masterful draftsmanship, the drawing radiates a quiet sense of beauty and cultural richness.
Nandalal Bose drew his early philosophical inspiration from ananda coomaraswamy, sister nivedita and E. B. Havell, and also from the japanese painters in calcutta whose influence impressed upon him the significance of valuing one’s artistic heritage.
Hailing from Munger in Bihar, he was fifteen when he came to Calcutta to continue his education, where his passion for art ultimately took him to the Government College of Arts and Crafts, to be groomed by Abanindranath Tagore from 1905-10.Close association with the Tagores awakened his idealism for a nationalistic consciousness and commitment toward classical and folk art, along with its underlying spirituality and symbolism.
When, in 1919, Bose was invited by Rabindranath Tagore to take charge of the newly-founded Kala Bhavana at his Visva-Bharati University in Santiniketan, he focussed mostly on the awakening of the creative potential of each student while laying emphasis on the unity of art and nature. In his own work, Bose experimented with the flat treatment of Mughal and Rajasthani traditions and played with the Sino-Japanese style and technique in his washes.
The 1930s saw a transition in his works from figuration to landscape. Engaging with various styles, Bose came up with a series of temperas marked by the impact of post-impressionist and expressionist renderings. His ‘posters’ for meetings of the Indian National Congress, and his illustrations, along with a group of other artists, of the Constitution of India, acknowledged his contribution to the creation of a new art for India.
Awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1954, his works were declared a National Art Treasure under the Antiquities and Art Treasure Act 1972. Bose passed away in Calcutta on 16 April 1966.
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