It was pioneered by E.B. Havell (Principal, Art School Calcutta) who drew attention of Abanindra Nath Tagore to the rich heritage of classical Indian Art and the Mughal miniatures.
Amanda Kentish Coomaraswamy (of Srilanka) who worked for several years in India and wrote several authoritative books on history and development of lndain Art also played an important role in the rise of the Bengal School.
Guided by the Indian canons of painting and traditions they painted miniatures in water colour (mostly with a limited palettle) on theme mostly drawn from Indian Mythology, the epics and classic literature.
Image Source: 185.26.182.219/Rqae5eb53b-c103-49e4-a363-9cb05f81161d
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A.N. Tagore was influenced by the Japanese technique of water colour wash painting which created delicate love and mystifying areas.
The Bengal school had a great flowering of talent at Kala Bhavan Shantiniketan which was dominated by three eminent artists Mandan Lai Bose, Binode Bihari Mukherjee and Ranilcinkar Baij (sculptore with immense drive rooted to the native Indian soil for sculptural forms).
Nand Lai Bose, a disciple of A.N. Tagore was painter of distinction and a nationalist. He derived inspirations form folk art also. He did large posters for pandals durings Congress Sessions.
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The artistic creed of the Bengal School which endeavored to revive the lost values and revitalize the indigenous system had bad effects too, for it took art back to the subject matter of ancient period and this was gradually challenged with new development for a genuinely individual search for content and form leading to a successful synthesis of Indian and European techniques.
Jamini Roy who emerged out of the Bengal school, folk tradition (of Bengal & Orissa) and the Kalighat paintings of 19th century painted image with minimum of lines and bright colours on a plain base, which gave his paintings place in the history of modern art.
Amrita Shergil, a major artist of the pre-independence era, had thoroughly understood the modern spirit and mode of expression.
Her oil paintings (a few portraits but many more of Punjabi peasants, mostly women) are diverse in theme and rich in colour with the figure having a quaint emaciated physiognomy like that of Ganguins women (Post impressionist).
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But they are thoroughly Indian. Ravindranath Tagore, through his innumerable works (in water colour, crayons, and mixed media) emerged as an important painter.
His paintings are strongly individualistic with his own moods instilled into them. It was utterly his own art out with the Bengal school having no influence.
Progressive Artists Groups (F N.Sonre, K.H.Ara, S.A.Rera, S.K.Bakre, HA. Gede; M.F. Hussain).
It was formed in Bombay, in 1948, due to the vision and initiative of Francis Newton Souza, who was a man of leftist leaving.
He was a rebel painter who defied old norms and conventions. His paintings were done in expressionist colours and styles and were suffused with contemporary human situation.