Painting, Shiva mourning Uma by Abanindranath Tagore, chromoxylograph, Bengal, ca. 1905

Chromoxylograph, the majestic figure of the Hindu god Shiva sits alone in a meditative pose as he mourns the death of his wife, Uma. The scene is painted in shades of grey. The chromoxylograph was probably printed in Japan from wood-blocks.

Given by Lady Sonia Wilson

Gift. RF 51/3488. From the Collection of Sir E. B. Havell. Given by Lady Sonia Wilson, daughter of E.B. Havell.

Abanindranath Tagore (1871 - 1951) was the pioneer and leading exponent of the Bengal School of Art. In his paintings, he sought to counter the influence of Western art as taught in art schools under the British Raj, by modernizing indigenous Moghul and Rajput traditions. His work became so influential that it was eventually accepted and regarded as a national Indian style.

In his work, Abanindranath retrieved themes from the Indian epic past or scenes from romantic tales, such as Arabian Nights or Omar Khaiyam and reworked them in a highly romanticised style. The artist’s desire to emancipate Indian art from European influence was also fostered by Japanese artist Okakura Kakuzo, who visited him in 1902. Later, studying Japanese art under Japanese artists, Taikoan and Hilsida, Abanindranath assimilated Far Eastern techniques such as the wash into his work. His Omar Khaiyam series (1906-08) reflects such influences. Abanindranath’s use of colour was also highly personalized and found its appropriate language in two major techniques: wash and tempera.

This scene depicts the majestic figure of the Hindu god Shiva sits alone in a meditative pose as he mourns the death of his wife, Uma. The combination of watercolour and grey wash creates subtle changes in the different shades of grey, giving an overall sense of mist.

The artist Abanindranath Tagore (1871 - 1951) was the pioneer and leading exponent of the Bengal School of Art which flourished between 1905 and 1920. In his paintings, he sought to counter the influence of Western art as taught in art schools under the British Raj, by modernizing indigenous Moghul and Rajput traditions. His work became so influential that it was eventually accepted and regarded as a national Indian style.

IS.304-1951