(19 September, 1894- 22 July, 1948)
Hemendranath Mazumdar was born in Kishoreganj (1894), now it’s part of a Bangladesh, and he was a prominent Indian Painter. He studied in Govt. College of Art & Craft, Kolkata in 1910. Mazumdar was a successful Indian artist in the early 20th century. He achieved both academic recognition and commercial success. Also, he was a notable artist of the rebel Jubilee Art School. This school taught students in the British academic style of art, moving away from Abanindranath Tagore's focus on Orientalist art. Despite that, he was close to Abanindranath Tagore, He preferred the European academic style rather than the Bengal School style. His work was similar to that of Raja Ravi Varma and covered similar themes, mainly idealizing the female form. He created large, sensuous oil realistic paintings of nude or partially clothed women, which gave a feeling of private, intimate sensuality. These paintings or subjects caught the attention of many royal figures. The Maharajas of Jaipur, Bikaner, Kashmir, Patiala, Cooch Behar and Mayurbhanj, to name a few, commissioned many works from him for their palaces. His ability to merge Indian and Western styles created a unique and timeless body of work that remains influential to this day.
Mazumdar's mastery lay in his ability to use color to convey emotion and mood. He applied colors with a sense of drama, often contrasting light and shadow to create depth and highlight details. His use of color was influenced by both European academic traditions and Indian artistic sensibilities, resulting in a unique fusion that characterized his style. He was praised for his skill in using pastels, watercolors, and chalks, but his true mastery was in his handling of oil paints. Most commonly a single woman is seen in his works, wet drapery and idealized romantic settings, emphasizing their sensuous appeal.
Hemendranath Mazumdar passed away on 22 July, 1948.
