Fruitseller - Nandalal Bose - Bengal School - Famous Indian Painting

Devi by Nandalal Bose is a prominent work within the Bengal School of Art and is celebrated for its depiction of the divine feminine. The painting reflects Bose's deep engagement with Indian spiritual and cultural themes, and it exemplifies the unique aesthetic qualities of the Bengal School.

Nandalal Bose (1882-1966) popularly known as the Master Moshai, was a disciple of Abanindranath Tagore.   Nandlal was fascinated by the potential of folk art and indigenous modes of expression and inculcated them in his works although stylising them in a unique representation for depiction and narration of local life. He began his artistic career in the fervour of the Swadeshi movement, rejecting western colonial norms of art and taking inspiration from the ancient murals of Ajanta and Bagh caves as well as Mughal miniatures.   In 1919, Nandalal Bose accepted Rabindranath Tagore's invitation to become the Principal of the art school Kala Bhavan at Visvabharati University in Santiniketan. He also painted a series of posters for the Indian National Congress at Haripura in February 1938.