Kshitindranath Majumdar (1891 - 1975)

From the collection of India Press, Allahabad

There are pinhole sized spots of foxing across the surface, consistent with age. This work is mounted and framed behind glass and in good condition, as viewed.
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Kshitindranath Majumdar was a stalwart of the Bengal School. A student of Abanindranath Tagore and a contemporary of other luminaries such as Nandalal Bose and Asit Kumar Haldar, Kshitindranath’s work embodied his lifelong commitment to the original esthetics of the Bengal School.

Kshitindranath became a student of Aban in 1909 when the latter founded the Indian Society for Oriental Art and sowed the seeds of an indigenous modern idiom in the art scene at the time. Kshitij was very much a part of this groundbreaking movement and immersed himself in perfecting the color wash technique – a trademark of the Bengal School. Classical Sanskrit literature and the rich Vaishnava tradition of Bengal were the sources of inspiration for his works, earning him the moniker ‘Bhakta Shilpi’ (Devotional Artisan) from his Guru Abanindranath. Indeed Kshitij’s art may be considered an expression of his devotion.

In 1912, Kshitij along with Nandalal Bose took over the responsibilities of teaching at the Society until 1930. In the interim his work was feted in national and international forums including expositions at the Grand Palais, Paris; Crystal Palace, London and traveling exhibitions to Holland, Belgium and the USA in 1914. The pure and spiritual expression of his paintings was much admired by European cognoscenti, an early collector being the Vicereine Lady Hardinge.

Delicate color washes combined with rhythmic pictorial arrangements define Kshitindranath’s signature style, as seen in the present painting depicting the 16^th century Vaishnava saint Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The spare geometric background with its vertical and horizontal planes offers a stimulating contrast to the lyrical and delicately rendered figures in the foreground. The youthful haloed saint has just announced his decision to embrace sanyas or the path of renunciation to his mother who kneels before him. A standing figure grasps the bare, gnarled tree trunk which heightens the pathos of the scene and serves as a metaphor for the hardships that lie ahead.

The precise yet soft and fluid outlines lend the images a weightless, ethereal quality. The influence of Ajanta is particularly manifested in the thin, attenuated contours of the figures. The luminous evenly-tinted surface is the result of repeated color applications using water, a technique over which the artist had particular mastery and which he used to great effect in infusing his works with spirituality or bhava – the essence of Indian art. The skillful use of white enhances the extreme finesse of the images. 

Between the years of 1942 – 1964 Kshitindranath remained Principal of the Art Department at Allahabad University. His work resides in many institutional collections including the Victoria & Albert Museum, London; NGMA, Delhi and the Indian Museum, Calcutta amongst others.