The Bengal School of Art and Nihonga (19021928): Art Toward a Modern Asian Identity
At the turn of the twentieth century, both India and Japan increasingly sought to create new modern identities separate from Western influence. These ambitions are reflected in the philosophies of two corresponding art movements, the Bengal School of Art and nihonga which are both considered to be pivotal to the development of modern Indian and Japanese art respectively. India had been ruled and colonized by Great Britain for almost a century and a half with Britain establishing state-run art institutions that mandated the standards of Indian art as well as commodifying it for European consumption. Similarly, though Japan was never directly colonized by a European state in the same manner, it felt pressure to assert its growing power by adopting and emulating Western aesthetics. In contrast, the Bengal School and nihonga both actively rejected Euro-American art techniques. Instead, the artists active in these movements were inspired by traditional Indian and Japanese forms. Initially, they developed their ideologies independently. However, in 1902, Okakura Kazuko, a Japanese art historian and vocal proponent of nihonga, visited Calcutta, India, staying with a prominent Bengali family, the Tagores, known for their contributions to Indian art, literature, music, and social reform. During this initial visit, as well as subsequent voyages to India and Japan by associated artists from the two groups, there was significant cross-pollination of ideologies, techniques, content, and aesthetics. For instance, the hazy ‘wash’ technique introduced by the nihonga artists, known as morotai, was adopted by the Bengal School of Art artists and became one of the movement’s defining features. Another key theme these two groups of artists explored was the tension between nationalism and transnational Pan-Asianism, the idea that all of Asia should be united economically, culturally, and politically in opposition to European values. Overall, this thesis seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of the nuances of artistic exchange between India and Japan during the early twentieth century and how these interactions sometimes transcended national boundaries to develop a broader sense of Pan-Asian identity.
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