Footnotes

Provenance
Property from a private collection, UK.

Note: This is edition 66 of 100.

Professor O.C. Ganguly, one of the foremost authorities on Indian art, played a vital role in documenting and shaping the discourse of modern Indian painting. His book Modern Indian Artists dedicated to Kshitindranath Haldar Mazumdar, remains a key contribution, bringing together 26 plates that highlight the breadth of Mazumdar's imagination. The illustrations include evocative works such as Chaitanya and the Peacock, Radha Back from the Jamuna, Saraswati, Dhruva, Ras Lila, Shakuntala, and Yamuna—all of which reflect the artist's sensitivity to the devotional, lyrical, and dramatic dimensions of Indian cultural heritage.

Mazumdar emerged as one of the most significant artists shaped by the ideals of the Bengal Renaissance. Deeply influenced by Vaishnavism, his art gave visual form to the bhakti traditions of devotion, love, and transcendence, themes that recur in his portrayals of Radha, Krishna, and episodes from the Vaishnava canon. His works are marked by a delicate balance between emotional intensity and refined aesthetic sensibility, where line, colour, and rhythm evoke the spiritual and poetic essence of his subjects.

Mazumdar's artistic journey was also shaped by the cultural climate fostered by Rabindranath Tagore. Inspired by Tagore's humanism and modernist vision, Mazumdar absorbed both literary and visual influences, finding ways to merge classical themes with contemporary expression. His mastery of techniques—combining the lyricism of traditional miniature painting with the fluidity of wash and tempera—allowed him to create works that were modern in outlook while remaining rooted in India's spiritual and artistic past.

Through Ganguly's careful study and presentation, Modern Indian Artists: K.H. Mazumdar affirms Mazumdar's place as a pivotal figure in the shaping of modern Indian art, where devotion, innovation, and aesthetic experimentation coalesce.