(17 September, 1867 – 14 February, 1938)
Gaganendranath Tagore hailed from Kolkata in 1867, he was an Indian painter and cartoonist of the Bengal school and declared a National Treasure artist by the Government of India.. He was a younger nephew of Rabindranath Tagore and the brother of Abanindranath Tagore. He received no formal education but trained under the watercolorist Harinarayan Bandopadhyay. He also learned and adopted Japanese brush technique. Also, Tagore was a co-founded the Indian Society of Oriental Art with his brother Abanindranath. Gaganendranath Tagore was one of the pioneers of Indian comic art. He created a series of satirical and humorous cartoons that commented on social and political issues of his time, often using wit and satire to critique colonialism and societal norms.
Tagore’s interest was not limited to only the brush technique of Japanese art but also the whole conceptual range of his art. He used soft and vibrant colours, played with light and dark shadows, experimented with cubism techniques, blended characteristics of cartoons and also done realistic works such as portraits, landscapes figurative. However, he is best known for his political cartoons and social satires on Westernised Bengalis.
Tagore, with his creative use of brush and colour, captured the playful and changing nature of light. Though he was a master of beautiful geometric compositions, his work is best described not purely for its beauty, but for its emotional depth. He focused on creating forms for their own sake. His cartoons, which depict scenes from Kolkata and the humorous aspects of its people's lives, show his keen sense of observation and sensitivity.
Gaganendranath Tagore passed away in Kolkata on 14 February, 1938.
