The Modern Artistic Staircase of Gaganendranath Tagore

A painting can encapsulate an entire era, depending on the artistic prowess of the person wielding the brush as a sword, crafting colours and shapes into visual poetry and storytelling. Gaganendranath Tagore's brushstrokes were a testament to such artistic brilliance that demands reverence and perpetual study.

Gaganendranath's most famous painting in shades of black and dusky white | Source: Blogspot

Roaming the pristine white and sparkling aisles of the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), situated in the country’s capital, an art aficionado or enthusiast finds a window of Indian art enlightenment open before them. Art possesses a mystical ability to communicate with the soul through the eyes. Resisting the temptation to become an art history enthusiast after visiting the NGMA is a challenge. Yet, even if one doesn’t feel deeply moved by the art gallery visit, strong opinions about certain painters often take root. On the second floor of the NGMA lies an extensive catalogue of Gaganendranath Tagore’s paintings. Amidst the vibrant palette of great impressionist modernist painters like Amrita Shergil, S. Basu Choudhry, Pithawala, and others, Gaganendranath’s monochrome paintings evoke a sense of muted awe and a strange intrigue in the minds of the audience. One can’t help but stare, as if ensnared by an enthralling hypnosis.

Gaganendranath Tagore, born in 1867 in Calcutta, West Bengal, belonged to Bengal’s most culturally affluent family. His lineage included great intellectuals like Rabindranath and Abhindranath Tagore as his uncle and brother, respectively. Gagendranath’s consciousness as an artist developed from an early age in a household brimming with artistic fervour. Surrounded by family and friends who were art and literature enthusiasts, he shared a camaraderie with his brother Abhinendranath and together, they initiated the Oriental Society of Arts in Bengal, promoting visual arts and drama. A perfectionist with a strong inclination toward Western and Asian forms of art, Ganganendranath took years to master Japanese brushstroke art. As a painter, he believed in continual growth and improvement.

Amidst the silent and tempered alleys of the Modern Art Gallery, the painting that authentically captures any art enthusiast’s attention is ‘Meeting by the Staircase.’ Embellished with simple shades of black and dusty white, the painting depicts a dark, sinister staircase on the top of which stand two women clad in saris, fashioned in the traditional style with the pallu over their heads. The women, standing side by side with their faces concealed by shadow and saris, exude a sense of gothic mystery. Observing the painting, one can't help but be spellbound, pondering the inspiration that must have fueled Gaganendranath as he pained these two enigmatic women.

Analysing the motif of this painting, considering the choice of colour and the angle, one could assert that Tagore aims to portray a typical image of classic Indian women. Their lives, imprisoned and delicately confined to the suffocation of the dark and sinister shadows of the staircase, speak volumes about the societal boundaries of classic Indian women in the 1900s. Always at face value of social and cultural restraints, these women communicated in secrecy, reflecting the constraints of their time.

However, to judge Gaganendranath Tagore's ideologies as a painter based solely on one painting would be impulsive. His art is unique and genuine, portraying the harsh and sharp realities that resonate with Indians. Throughout his life, he captures the essence of existentialism and the unvarnished truth of an Indian struggling to stay afloat during the turbulence of the freedom struggle. Through his art, Gaganendranath sought to depict the true spirit of the country in its unapologetic purity, embracing everything that the world considered uncivilised and unspoken for.