Lithograph, abstract print, by Benode Behar Mukherjee, printed on paper by Somnath Hore, Bengal, ca. 1969-1970

Lithograph on paper, in this print, Mukherjee gives us a contemporary interpretation of elements of traditional Hindu iconography. In this work we see a semi abstract composition with a black trident and a black snake with a green eye and some Bengali script to the left of the design. The trident, snake and eye identify the Hindu god Shiva. To the right is a maroon rectangle enclosing a white ring and above it a star. The printing was done by Somnath Hore, one of India's most important modern artists.

6/14

Given by Mr. Anthony Stokes, 1983.

Given by Mr Anthony Stokes. RF: 83/1915

Binode Behari Mukherjee (1904 - 1980) was one of the pioneers and leading exponents of the Indian Modernist movement. A painter and muralist, Mukherjee, studied at Santiniketan under the tutelage of Bengal School artist Nandalal Bose. He developed a style that drew from a variety of artistic forms, including western modernism, Far Eastern calligraphy and wash technique, Indian Rajput and Mughal paintings and the Ajanta and Bagh frescoes.

Whilst at Santiniketan, Mukherjee was one of the first students to use oil paint and work in a multitude of media including woodcuts, murals, etching and collage. He learnt calligraphy and traditional Far Eastern wash techniques from visiting Japanese artists. In 1936 he travelled to Japan and was influenced by the abstract compositions of painter Tawaraya Sotatsu. His interest in Western modernism is evidenced by his flexible adoption of a Cubist non-figurative syntax such as multi-perspectival compositions and faceting of planes. In addition, Mukherjee was inspired by the Ajanta and Bagh frescoes which triggered his interest in mural techniques. ‘Saint Singers of Medieval India’, commissioned by the Visva-Bharati University in 1947 is one such experiment.

Mukherjee taught at Kala Bhavan (1925-1949), the art faculty of Visva Bharati University. In 1947, he joined as a curator the Nepal Government Museum in Kathmandu and from 1951-52, he taught at the Banasthalo Vidyapith School in Rajasthan. In 1958, completely blind, he returned to Kala Bhavan and became its principal.

Benode Behari Mukherjee (1904 - 1980) was one of the pioneers and leading exponents of the Indian Modernist movement. A painter and muralist, Mukherjee, studied at Santiniketan under the tutelage of Bengal School artist Nandalal Bose. He developed a style that drew from a variety of artistic forms, including western modernism, Far Eastern calligraphy and wash technique, Indian Rajput and Mughal paintings and the Ajanta and Bagh frescoes.

Near the end of his career, the artist suffered from poor eyesight. He was blind when he made this print, which shows his experimentation with form, rhythm and space. In this print Muherjee gives us a contemporary interpretation of elements of traditional Hindu iconography. The trident, snake and eye identify the Hindu god Shiva. While he imagined the colours, the shapes are felt and arranged. The printing was done by Somnath Hore, another of India’s most prominent artists.

IS.100-1983