Painting, advent of spring, girl with lota, by Kshitendranath Majumdar, watercolour on paper, Neo-Bengal school, Bengal, ca. 1910-1920

Painting, watercolour on paper, a young woman dressed in a white sari sits beneath a tree on a terrace near some water. She holds a lota (waterpot) in one hand.

A young woman dressed in a white sari sits beneath a tree on a terrace near some water. She holds a lota (waterpot) in one hand.

Given by Mrs Adeline Gourlay

Given by Mrs Adeline Gourlay. RF: 64/3288

Kshitindranath Majumdar (1891-1975) was an influential figure of the Bengal School of Art. He was one of the early students of Abanindranath Tagore, the leading artist and exponent of the school.

During his childhood, Kshitindranath was raised in a rural environment and therefore received no formal education. Unlike most of his school colleagues, Kshitindranath did not reach out to the past or distant lands to increase his personal artistic repertoire but gained most of his knowledge from village plays known as Jatra and Kirtan, devotional hymns performed by indigenous religious communities. Adhering to Abanindranath’s patriotic commitment, Kshitindranath retrieved themes from the Hindu epic past and reworked them in a highly romanticised style.

The artist’s adoption of the wash technique was later superseded by his choice of tempera. His hazy and suggestive scenes therefore, gave way to clearly articulated spaces. In 1921, Kshitindranath was appointed Principal of the Indian Society of Oriental Art, Calcutta and from 1942-64 he became Principal of the Art Department at Allahabad University. The artist’s work has been exhibited internationally.

Neo-Bengal School

The scene depicts a young woman dressed in a white sari sitting beneath a tree on a terrace near some water. She holds a lota (waterpot) in one hand.

Kshitindranath Majumdar (1891-1975) was an influential figure of the Bengal School of Art which flourished between 1905 and 1920. He restricted himself to Vaishnavite (referring to the Hindu god Vishnu) and literary themes, evolving a mannered style in which languid, elongated figures generally appear against simple backgrounds with trees and shrubs. In this scene influences from the paintings at Ajanta and Far Eastern techniques are evident.

IS.58-1965