COUSINS, James H. (1873–1956)

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First edition of this important early monograph on Asit Kumar Haldar, one of the leading artists associated with the Bengal School and an important figure in the development of modern Indian art.

Written by James H. Cousins, with annotations to the plates by art historian and Rupam editor Ordhendra Coomar Gangoly, the book examines Haldar’s artistic development and places his work within the emerging modern Indian art movement of the early twentieth century. Haldar had studied under Abanindranath Tagore and was closely associated with the revival of Indian artistic traditions, drawing inspiration from Ajanta, Mughal and other historical Indian sources while developing a distinctive modern pictorial language.

The volume formed part of the ambitious Modern Indian Artists series associated with Rupam, the influential journal of the Indian Society of Oriental Art. Produced to a notably high standard, it combines critical text with colour reproductions and photogravures of Haldar’s paintings, including works such as Sita in Asoke Grove and Rāsa-Līlā. The volume is an important early published record of Haldar’s work and of the critical reception of the Bengal School during the 1920s.