Mother and Child: My Introduction to Jamini Roy

My first introduction to Jamini Roy was during my 12th board exams. After studying physics, maths, and chemistry throughout the year, it was finally time for some fine arts. I opened my book which had been sulking in a corner of my cupboard. I remember flipping through its pages, skimming through 'Mughal miniature paintings', 'Pahari miniature art', 'the fundamentals of art', and several other topics before I landed on 'Modern Indian Contemporary Art'. I used to stay up till late at night for studies back then, but by this time, I could barely keep my eyes open. Tears rolling down my face, begged me to go to sleep. As I contemplated whether a 10-mark essay was really worth sacrificing all this sleep, my drowsy eyes were drawn to a certain painting.

It was titled "Mother and Child" by Jamini Roy. Perhaps, the imposing silence of the post-midnight hours was giving wings to my imagination. I found myself looking fondly at this seemingly ordinary painting. After browsing through pages of prehistoric cave paintings and royal Mughal paintings, its simplicity tugged at my heart—or maybe I was just sleep-deprived. Anyways, I woke up at my desk the following morning, with drool all over me and a terrible back pain.

Thankfully, this was not the end of my encounter with Roy's art. I decided to study this topic for my exams (a wise decision indeed, given the level of physics they asked that year). I opened my book once again, this time on a cold winter's morning, and examined the painting more closely. I had a habit of memorising paintings by examining them closely and writing down every detail I could see. As I may have mentioned before, the subject matter of this painting is a mother and her child. It depicts a Santhal woman holding her naked child with her left hand on the waist in Tribhang Mudra. The child's hair is neatly tied up in a bun, similar to the depiction of Little Krishna, signifying that all children are representatives of God. According to the book, both the mother and the child have fish-tailed eyes, which are commonly found in Indian folk paintings. The woman is wearing a brown sari with green borders decorated with black lines and her right hand is painted red. Bold brushstrokes are evident throughout the painting.

"Mother and Child"

A variety of colours, such as vermilion, yellow ochre, brown and green have been used. Motherhood is depicted beautifully in the context of Indian philosophy. This work heavily resembles the style seen in Kalighat Pat paintings. For the unfamiliar, Kalighat Pat paintings are a style of watercolour paintings based on Bengali folk art. They were popularised by artists in Calcutta near the Kalighat Temple. They consist of Pattachitras or scroll paintings which often narrate tales of Hindu gods and goddesses. Unfortunately, this art style is now in decline with fewer and fewer artists practising it. Jamini Roy drew inspiration from the Kalighat Pat paintings and also Alpana, another traditional folk art from West Bengal, and developed a new style in 1921. Alpana, characterized by its intricate, colorful motifs and patterns, is primarily drawn on floors and walls during auspicious occasions and religious ceremonies.

By the 1850s, the British had complete dominance over India and formally introduced European realism and oil paintings in art schools across the country. I recall my teacher saying that the British were fond of the 'exotic' scenery of our country and often commissioned realistic landscape paintings. I also remember wondering why artists like Jamini Roy abandoned years of academic training, only to take up folk art. All those doubts were later put to rest. The reason was simple—these paintings weren't 'Indian' in nature. The Britishers believed our art to be unrefined and thought poorly of it. They wouldn't pay royalties to professionals who had spent years perfecting 'Indian' traditional arts. Only those who were willing to paint scenic landscapes for a living were paid. Although we can't blame them, it is sad that their art would be hung next to the tapestry and mentioned occasionally to the guests invited over for tea.

Jamini Roy

Jamini Roy is regarded as one of the greatest painters of the 20th century. Born in Bankura, West Bengal, he is considered the father of India's folk renaissance. In 1903, he studied at the Government School of Art and Craft in Calcutta under Abanindranath Tagore. As a student, Roy took a keen interest in the works of Post-Impressionist painters, such as Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin, whose influence is evident in his early work. A revolutionary in Indian Modern Art, he gave up years of training at the colonial art school in favour of adopting the flat and colourful style of folk painting. He deliberately kept his paintings simple so that they could easily be copied and reach a wider audience. He believed that Indian folk art had a lot in common with the works of modern artists such as Picasso and Paul Klee. He often drew his subject matter from ancient Hindu texts such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, as well as stories of Radha-Krishna, Jesus Christ, and the daily lives of Bengali and Santhali households. In those times, paper was expensive, and colours were a novelty. Roy often used homespun fabric (pats), wood, and even mats coated with lime as canvases, and painted with natural colours made from organic materials such as rock dust, tamarind seeds, mercury powder, alluvial mud, and common chalk. His signature bold brushstrokes were made using lamp black. This demonstrates the sheer determination and dedication he had towards his art. For Roy, painting was not just creating a whirlpool of colours and figures, but also a means of rebellion against British dominance. His paintings spoke, or rather taunted them of their unoriginality. Once considered unrefined, his folk art has now made waves across the world.

Roy was awarded the Viceroy’s Gold Medal for excellence in art in 1935 and the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian honour, in 1954. His works were declared national art treasures under the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act(1972) in 1976, making him one of the few Indian artists whose work cannot be exported from the country. His paintings serve as a gentle reminder that modernism does not mean giving up our roots. Instead, it is more about embracing and nurturing them to the best of our abilities in order to create something new.

Since the beginning of humanity, art has been a form of expression. Ancient civilisations developed their own unique arts, cultures, and traditions, which are recognised even today. Every revolution is led by artists and poets. Art has always provided us solace, a measure to vent and express our innermost thoughts and feelings. During the pandemic, many of us found comfort wrapped in the form of old television shows, movies, music, books, etc. We all have a piece of art that is dear to us, be it a song or a painting or a book. Something that inspires and comforts us. This speaks volumes about the significance of art to mankind.

This summer break, I stumbled upon my textbook once again. Flipping through its pages, I was reminded of my country's glorious past and of the efforts made by artists to preserve and hand it over to its future generations. Artists like Jamini Roy gave voice to our freedom struggle and will always be remembered for their contributions. They make us immensely proud to be associated with such a great tradition of art and culture. We are forever indebted to them.