Lot 208: GAGANENDRANATH TAGORE (1867 - 1938)

GAGANENDRANATH TAGORE (1867 - 1938) UNTITLED Initialled 'GT' lower left Watercolour on paper 13½ by 10¼ in. (34.4 by 26 cm.)

From the coollection of Giles Eyer

In 1907, Gaganendranath together with his brother Abanindranath Tagore founded the Indian Society of Oriental Art which became the harbinger of an indigenous modernism in Indian art in the early twentieth century.

During the early part of his career Gaganendranath was influenced by Far Eastern art styles, in particular Japanese ink wash techniques. Indeed, Japanese influence is pronounced in the present work depicting a veiled woman in profile clad in a wispy cloud-patterned sari. Using a monochromatic Nihonga-inspired palette the artist skillfully varies the intensity of his brush to create both depth and movement in this fluid composition.