Ramkinkar Baij was born in Bankura, West Bengal into a financially modest family. His parents identified his talent at an early age and supported him to get formal education. Baij, from his childhood, spent his time observing his village and the life around which very evidently reflects in works. Through his paintings one can observe expressive brushwork and bold colors which represents Baij’s thought of evoking structure and rhythm through his art.
With a hint of impressionism, this painting has loose brushwork and simplified forms through the towering pine trees and pathway filled with people. Palam emphasizes movement rather than accuracy. It captures the atmosphere and energy and transfers it to the viewers of the painting instead of modeling every detail. In the watercolors, trees seem to sway with the winds, people are a mere stroke of colors and the landscape can be felt through the choice of colors.
Baij did not copy either European styles or traditional Indian paintings, rather, his paintings can be seen as an influence of Expressionism, Cubism and Impressionism, while placing Indian landscapes and village life at the core. His paintings are an example of an exquisite amalgamation of international modernist ideas with Indian visuals.
Palam is not just a landscape, to be looked at but experienced the way a walk would feel in the mountains of Himalayas.
The painting can be seen as a fresh breeze in the world of realist paintings, where movement and the feel of a scenery is captured intentionally rather than trying to achieve accuracy visually. The blues and greens have a balance between them as it feels like a sunny day with trees swaying and evokes a calm, festive like sensation in the viewer.
