Death of Sadhu Haridas

Kshitindranath Mazumdar was a key artist in the Bengal school of art movement during the 20th century that rose as a matter of counter culture to previously established colonial art styles. Abanindranath Tagore as his mentor, he would become prominent for his portrayal of the Rajput style of artistry combined with his own unique blend of one of his interests from Japanese artwork. This current piece is a perfect showcase of his mentioned mastery of these unique blends of various other art styles and components. Portrayed here is the death of Santh Haridas, an important figure in the development of the Bhakti Tradition of Hinduism and also the innovator of various classical musical schools attributed directly down to him. The painting portrays Mahaprabhu Chaitanya who was a key figure in 15th Century Vaishnavism and the founder of Gauda Vaishnavism which became quite prominent in Bengali hindu communities at large, present at the passing of this great saint of immense importance. Mazumdar manages to paint a vivid picture of the sheer gravity of the event as there are followers beside the saints weeping to the events and the colors used are subdued and melancholic. This stands as a perfect example of his mastery of bengal school.