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Kshitindranath Majumdar, the saint-artist ...


Kshitindra Nath Majumdar (31st July 1891 – 9th February 1975), born in village Jagtai near Nimtita in Jangipur sub-division was a painter of a very high calibre. He was a student of Abanindranath Tagore. His paintings were mainly based on the theme of Devotions and stories from the Puranas. Kshitindranath Majumdar was an influential figure of the Bengal School of Art which flourished between 1905 and 1920. He restricted himself to Vaishnavite (referring to the Hindu god Vishnu) and literary themes, evolving a mannered style in which languid, elongated figures generally appear against simple backgrounds with trees and shrubs. In this scene influences from the paintings at Ajanta and Far Eastern techniques are evident.

Kshitindranath Majumdar was a stalwart of the Bengal School. A student of Abanindranath Tagore and a contemporary of other luminaries such as Nandalal Bose and Asit Kumar Haldar, Kshitindranath’s work embodied his lifelong commitment to the original esthetics of the Bengal School.

Majumdar travelled widely to religious places in India and based his paintings on daily chores,
religion/spiritualism etc. His paintings are in the collections of many museums and private collectors in India and abroad. Kshitindra Nath Majumdar was honoured with Akademi Fellowship in 1973. Delicate color washes combined with rhythmic pictorial arrangements define Kshitindranath’s signature style, as seen in the present painting depicting the 16th century Vaishnava saint Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The spare geometric background with its vertical and horizontal planes offers a stimulating contrast to the lyrical and delicately rendered figures in the foreground. The youthful haloed saint has just announced his decision to embrace sanyas or the path of renunciation to his mother who kneels before him. A standing figure grasps the bare, gnarled tree trunk which heightens the pathos of the scene and serves as a metaphor for the hardships that lie ahead.

The precise yet soft and fluid outlines lend the images a weightless, ethereal quality. The influence of Ajanta is particularly manifested in the thin, attenuated contours of the figures. The luminous evenly-tinted surface is the result of repeated color applications using water, a technique over which the artist had particular mastery and which he used to great effect in infusing his works with spirituality or bhava – the essence of Indian art. The skillful use of white enhances the extreme finesse of the images.
Kshitindranath  Majumdar  is often referred to as a saint-artist who considered art as a form of  devotion. The artist was strongly influenced by Sri Chaitanya’s Vaishnavism, trained in hymn singing, interpreted legends from Indian epics and Puranas, and participated in drama productions.

Ksitindra Nath Majumdar remained pastoral throughout, never become urbanite though he lived in cities most of his life. He was the art teacher and principal of the school at the Society of Oriental Arts, Calcutta for 18 years and then he went to Allahabad University in 1942 (as the president of the art department). There he taught till his retirement till 1964. On 9 February, 1975 A.D. he passed away leaving all his works immortal.

Text Source Acknowledgement: Anirudh Majumdar (Great Grand Son of Ksitindra Nath Majumdar).

  





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