Painting, Abanindranath Tagore, 1920
Abanindranath Tagore, portraitAbanindranath Tagore1871–1951

Painting

1920 · Painting · 16.5 × 11.7 cm

Can I see it?

Not on view at present

Where is “Painting” now? Collection: Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Not on view at present. Checked September 25, 2026.

Victoria and Albert Museum

London, United Kingdom

It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.

Checked
In this state since
Source
The museum

About the painting

This scene shows a figure wrapped in a red cape, riding a white horse along the side of a mountain. The figure of the sage could perhaps have been inspired by the maroon-robed Tibetan monks whom the artist would have encountered when painting landscapes at Darjeeling in 1919-20.

Abanindranath Tagore (1871-1951) was the pioneer and leading exponent of the Bengal School of Art. In his paintings, he sought to counter the influence of Western art as taught in art schools under the British Raj, by modernizing indigenous Moghul and Rajput traditions. His work became so influential that it was eventually accepted and regarded as a national Indian style. Later, studying Japanese art under Japanese artists, Taikoan and Hilsida, Abanindranath assimilated Far Eastern techniques such as the wash into his work. This painting shows his use of the wash technique.

Victoria and Albert Museum

Details

Accession number
IS.197-1955

What it shows

In the catalog

Sources

All works

On view at Victoria and Albert Museum

Museum page

On the same theme · Horse

All works on the theme