Ramendranath Chakravorty: Arjun and Chitrangada

In a post for March, 2009, I wrote the below introduction to a work by Ramendranath Chakravorty. Over the next few weeks I hope to write more about this artist and the works of his in my collection. But to begin, it seems worthwhile to repeat the first two paragraphs of my previous post:

Ramendranath Chakravorty is one of those artists who have slipped out of modern Indian consciousness, but whose contributions to the development of Indian art are undeniable. Born in 1902, Chakravorty first studied at the Government College of Art and Craft in Calcutta, going on to study under Nandalal Bose at Kala Bhavan at Santiniktan. Later he traveled to London, perfecting his printmaking skills under Sir Muirhead Bone at the Slade School of Art. Returning home, Chakravorty succeeded Mukul Dey as principal at the Government School of Art and Craft, Calcutta.

Chakravorty was one of the first truly international Indian artists. His 27 Sketches of Europe before the War was published by Longhams, Green and Co. in 1944, and in the same year he published Call of the Himalayas which was illustrated with 25 wood engravings and was dedicated to his master Nandalal Bose.

In that same post I went on to enthuse over the surprise discovery of a note by Rabindranath Tagore found under the frame. It was one of those delightful surprises a collector sometimes enjoys...though in this case my elation was short lived. On closer examination the note seems little more than a replica of the original. But it demonstrates the pride the artist took in the praise he had received from the founder of Visva Bharati at Santiniketan.

The colour woodcut seen above dates from 1941, just two years before Chakravorty introduced the Graphics Department to the Government School of Art, Calcutta, as its Officiating Principal. This masterful green and black woodcut is in fact an illustration of one of Tagore's plays, Chitrangada (actually a dance-drama). The play seems to be reaching an important climax...Arjun doing his best to possess the heroine (?)...as spectators are seen viewing from the sides.

Chakravorty had first been inspired to pursue colour woodcut when a Mexican painter by the name of Fryman visited Santiniketan in 1923 and proceeded to demonstrate the techniques he had learned in Paris from various Japanese printmakers. In this roundabout way Ramendranath became aware of the intricacies of making colour woodcuts and wood engravings, later writing to Madame Andre Karpeles in Paris for more information about the process and how to procure materials.

A label on the back of the mount indicates that this particular woodcut had been exhibited at an "Industrial Exhibition" sometime shortly after its creation. Sadly, it was mounted to a cheap board at the same time, making its archival conservation that much more difficult.