National Gallery of Modern Art-Parikraman

Nandalal Bose

A Sketch from Album No. 86 9206 Nandalal Bose Watercolour on paper

Nandalal had a strong affinity for sketching; his subjects being from the surrounding environs, people in their everyday life or anything that he found fascinating. The artist executed this sketch with fluid brush strokes rendering the lines in a calligraphic style and depicting a villager at his daily chore of producing sweets in an open space. The man working with a ladle, making small portions of the sweets, sits near the earthen stove with a large wok placed over the fire. Other earthen wares, trays and mesh are lying nearby. The emphasis on the strong delineation of line was the influence of the Far Eastern art practices in the works of Nandalal. The artist 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. Nandalal is known for recording the lively sense of humour arising from the everyday chores of common folks. It also bears testimony of Nandalal's keen sense of observation and his empathy for the environment in which he lived.