National Gallery of Modern Art-Parikraman

Nandalal Bose

A Sketch from Album No. 84 9163 Nandalal Bose Pen & Ink on postcard

Nandalal was indefatigable in his sketching routines which formed an adjunct part of his daily life. Making instantaneous visual records of anything amusing happening in his surroundings or of social events, or observing the demeanour and mannerisms of people, the cattle and observing intently the ways of nature was inspiring and a source of delight for Nanadalal. His smaller sketches are testimony of Nandalal's keenness to observe and his empathy for the environment in which he lived. The present drawing is a detailed representation of a group of women engaged in hard labour for digging up of a well in the village. Nandalal in his individualistic style has rendered the image with an array of unconstrained lines in calligraphic style of the Far Eastern art practices for a perceptible representation of the subject. The strong calligraphic line drawing brings out the rhythm and coherence in the form of the women labourers even as they are engaged in the arduous task. Art historian R. Siva Kumar in the book, 'Rhythms of India: The Art of Nandalal Bose' has described the sketches and drawings of Nandalal as - "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."