
Nandlal Bose, Bapuji, 1930.

Nandlal Bose, New Clouds, 1937.
He constructed a national identity for the present through the visual imagery of the past

Nandlal Bose, Ardhanariawar, 1935.

Nandlal Bose, Lino-cut illustration from Sahaj Path, 1930.
The way Bose included indigenous communities in his artwork is remarkable. The Santhals who lived around the University of Shantiniketan happen to be a recurring theme. Bose explores their way of life, their daily activity and their idea of family and social behaviour. Moreover, since the Santhals were the initial inhibitors of the eastern plains therefore by making them the subject of his painting he tried to comment on the effect of urbanisation on the local population. This was in one way a commentary on the effect of colonialism at a microcosmic level.

Nandlal Bose, Sati, 1943.