National Gallery of Modern Art-Parikraman

Nandalal Bose

A Sketch from Album No. 72 8874 Nandalal Bose Pencil on postcard

Nandalal preferred drawing from life, often sketching outdoors with the subject being life, nature studies, landscapes, figure drawings, animals. Often the sketches were small in scale although invigorating with the rich detailing of the artist's observations, experiences and sojourns to various places. In the above drawing, Nandalal has made a faithful renderation of a man which represents the perturbed expression on the face with the accentuated wrinkles on the face and the forehead. Nandalal for this pencil sketch has experimented in the representation of lines to attain texture and life to the form of the figure. R. Siva Kumar in the book, 'Rhythms of India: The Art of Nandalal Bose' writes, "Nandalal's drawing take through different landscapes and introduce us to life in different cultures- not cosmetically, but intimately. Done on small cards, these drawings are a visual record of the artist's sensory experiences, and they capture the varying moods and gestures with remarkable ease and economy."