Untitled

Nandalal Bose is one of the most significant Indian artists from the twentieth century, associated with the contextual modernism that was developed in Santiniketan, Bengal, where Rabindranath Tagore had established a university. Bose’s postcards carried the intimacy and precision of diary-entries. So secure did he become with this habit that he even cut out his sketching papers into postcard sizes that he carried around his person. The subject-matter varied, although the animal world inspired a substantial number of them; not only did they charm and fascinate Bose, but they also held hidden messages for him about the simplicity and truths of life. In several postcards, he added a note—as can be seen in this work—which could be a cryptic line or aphorism, intended for the recipient. In many instances, words were sparingly used, allowing the visual element to take a central place in his ‘message’. This made him an enthusiastic observer of birds, cattle, insects and other living-beings.