In the early decades of the twentieth century, a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi would have been a subject difficult to ignore by artists. Those decades belonged to the architect of India’s freedom, fondly addressed by the people as ‘Bapu’ (Father), also alluded to in the title by the artist, with the denominator of additional respect—ji. This wood engraving comes from the late Thirties or Forties, given the advanced age in which Gandhi is depicted. Chakravorty, who had trained in wood engraving under Eric Gill in London, captures the gravitas of the Mahatma’s face with dense lines in this powerful profile.
published references
Singh, Kishore, ed., The Art of Bengal (New Delhi: DAG, 2012), p. 169 Sengupta, Paula, The Printed Picture: Four Centuries of Indian Printmaking, Volume II (New Delhi: DAG, 2012), p. 111 Singh, Kishore, ed., Indian Portraits: The Face of a People (New Delhi: DAG, 2013), p. 158
Ramendranath Chakravorty
Bapuji
Early 20th century
Wood engraving on paper
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Ramendranath Chakravorty
Bapuji
Early 20th century
Wood engraving on paper
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