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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