Bagishwari Shilpa Prabandhabali by Abanindranath Thakur [Hardcover]

Abanindranath Tagore was not only an artist but also an art guru and a connoisseur of fine arts. Every creation of his is a treasure of joyful creation. It was through Abanindranath's timeless genius that the fading Indian art revived, bringing new possibilities to life. In him, there was also a gifted storyteller, a facet of his personality discovered by his uncle, Rabindranath Tagore. The unique contribution of this "painter-writer Abanindranath" is the Bagishwari essay collection.

This collection offers a simple, beautiful, and easily comprehensible explanation of the principles of aesthetics and art theory. It also weaves a remarkable connection between visual art and literature. The prose style, rich in color and depth, in its discussions of subtle and complex topics, is rare in Bengali literature. For those who are dedicated to the practice of art and the correct enjoyment of its essence, this book will be considered an "essential classical text."

In the words of his disciple, the artist Nandalal Basu, "The Bagishwari lecture series by the art guru Abanindranath is a groundbreaking book in the field of art theory and, in our time, unparalleled in its contribution to the development of a sense of aesthetics. There is no doubt about this. It is a priceless treasure in Bengali literature."

The lectures that Abanindranath delivered between 1921 and 1929, while serving as the first "Rani Bagishwari Professor" at the University of Calcutta, were published in 1941 as Bagishwari Art Essays. This current "Ananda" edition includes the essays from the first edition published by the University of Calcutta in 1941, the first edition published by Rupa in 1962, and subsequent editions, making this the most perfect and complete version of this classical work.