National Gallery of Modern Art-Parikraman

Nandalal Bose

A Sketch from Album No. 73 8897 Nandalal Bose Pen & Ink on postcard

Nandalal preferred drawing from life, often sketching outdoors with the subject being life, nature studies, landscapes, figure drawings, animals. His exploration of the different ways of delineating a line allowed him to experiment in representation of lines in its varying forms adding rhythm, vigour and life to the form of the figures. The above postcard depicts a man seated on a low stool made up of jute and is animatedly seen conversing with someone. The fluid handling of the line and their strong delineation was the influence of the Far Eastern art practices. Nandalal understood the significance of the use of lines and experimented frequently in their execution from fine lines to being thick contouring lines and executed in a calligraphic fashion. Art historian R. Siva Kumar in the book, 'Rhythms of India: The Art of Nandalal Bose' has written, "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."