This particular work was commissioned by the British Government for the newly constructed London India House U.K. And this 10x6 feet Wash Tempera painting of Shri Chaitanya was selected by the selection committee for decorating the wall of London India.
Introduction
"Shri Chaitanyer Abhishar" (1928) is considered to be one of the masterpieces created by Kalipada Ghoshal. It was painted during a time when artists were trying to move away from the prevalent ideas of Western academic realism, trying to rediscover indegenous traditions instead, which also made the early 20th century an important turning point in the history of Indian art. Among the artists who were a part of this change, we find Kalipada Ghoshal, who also emerged as a significant figure associated with the Bengal School of Art. Therefore, this painting, which was commissioned by the British Government itself, becomes an important example of how spiritual, cultural, and even nationalist ideas were expressed through visual art during the colonial period.
The Artist: Kalipada Ghoshal
Kalipada Ghoshal was born in Bengal in the early twentieth century (September 1906 – 29 April 1995) and trained under the guidance of Abanindranath Tagore, one of the leading figures of the Bengal School of Art. Under his influence, Ghoshal developed a style of painting that focused more on mood, emotion, and suggestion, promoting the use of oriental and traditional Indian motifs as a counter to prevailing Western influences.
Ghoshal was mentored by several prominent figures like Sailen Dey, Kartick Banerjee, Khitindranath Majumder, Giridhari Mahapatro, and of course Abanindranath Tagore, under whome he developed a sort of proficiency in wash painting techniques. These involved the use of translucent layers of watercolor applied with fine brushes to achieve the required gradation and effect. He was also influenced by Japanese wash painting techniques, which emphasized on soft colours and a refined brushwork. In addition to this, he experimented with tempera, (the technique he used in this particular work) which he prepared by hand-grinding natural, dry powdered pigments, such as mineral and vegetable-based colours, into water-soluble binders like egg yolk, honey, or plant gums, which in turn allowed him to produce luminous and durable surfaces on supports like paper, board, or silk.
From a thematic perspective, his works often depicted mythological, religious, and cultural subjects, including deities such as Shiva, Durga, Krishna, and Lakshmi, evoking the mythological grandeur of the Indian tradition. Alongside these divine figures, he also explored historical and characters from epics like the Mahabharata and Ramayana. For instance, his "Dushmanta Shakuntala" (1943) portrays the protagonists of an ancient Indian love story from the Mahabharata, later famously retold in Kalidasa's "Abhijnanashakuntalam." And aside from this, he also relied on using several folk elements into his art.
The Painting: Shri Chaitanyer Abhishar
"Shri Chaitanyer Abhishar" (1928) was commissioned by the British Government, which in itself is quite significant, as it reflects how Indian artists and their works were beginning to receive official recognition even during the colonial period. Ghoshal was the only artist whose large-sized 10 × 6 feet wash tempera painting of Shri Chaitanya, along with fresco samples, was selected by the committee for decorating the walls of India House in London.
The subject matter in this regard, when viewed in the cultural context in which Ghoshal was working, also becomes especially significant. Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was a well-known saint from Bengal associated with the Bhakti movement. He is often remembered for the eight Sanskrit verses known as the Śikṣāṣṭakam, which outline the tenets of his bhakti-yoga path. He is also regarded as a pioneer of divine love, particularly through the concept of ahaitukī, a Sanskrit term meaning "without cause," referring to pure, selfless devotion to the Divine that seeks no material or spiritual gain.
And for Chaitanya, the ultimate goal was not merely liberation from the material world, but the attainment of pure, unadulterated love for Krishna (prema-bhakti), which he considered the highest perfection of life.
The subject matter of this painting also becomes particularly significant, as it depicts Chaitanya as a slender, elongated figure, moving forward or poised in a devotional stance, where his body language may express spiritual surrender to the divine. The title of the painting, “Abhishar,” is equally important, as it can refer to quite a number of things; it can either signify an intense, longing devotion, or a spiritual journey towards one’s ultimate goal, or even union (milan), companionship (sakha), or the act of approaching and converging (abhisaran). However, all of these interpretations become equally relevant in understanding the painting, as they may reflect the spiritual journey that Chaitanya undertook in his quest to unite with Krishna.
If we look at the visual treatment of the same, the painting also appears to follow the characteristic features of the Bengal School where soft, muted tones and gentle gradations created through the wash technique contribute to an almost dreamlike quality. The background instead of being too heavily detailed, remains very minimal allowing the viewer’s attention to rest primarily on the figure of Chaitanya, highlighting its significance even more. This restraint in visual detailing therefore, becomes very important as well, as it shifts the emphasis away from physical realism and instead draws attention towards the emotional and spiritual intensity of the scene.
It is often believed that, completely immersed in his devotion, Chaitanya who went in search of Krishna, ultimately entered the sea, and dissolved into the divine, never to be found again. The painting, therefore, could be seen as a visual evocation of that moment. At the same time, it may also symbolize his entire life as an "abhishar", sort of a continuous journey marked by an intense yearning to unite with the divine.
Regardless of the multiple interpretations, the figure of Chaitanya here becomes a symbol of divine love and spiritual longing; and rather than focusing on the physical details, this painting emphasizes more on inner experience and transcendence. And if we look at it from the context of the Bengal School of Painting, such themes can naturally be seen carrying nationalist undertones, reasserting Indian cultural identity, reviving indegenous spiritual traditions and opposing Western artistic dominance through cultural revival.
Conclusion
Thus, Kalipada Ghoshal's "Shri Chatainyer Abhishar" (1928) is not only a devotional image catering to themes of religion and spiritualism, but also as a reflection of a larger cultural and artistic movement in India. And through its emphasis on spirituality, emotion, and indigenous techniques, it embodies the ideals of the Bengal School, where art becomes a medium for both personal expression and cultural resurgence.
The painting is a beautiful and strange theology. God becoming human not to save the world through grand gestures, but to feel the pain of separation. The abhishar is that pain made visible. I think about what that means for Ghoshal, painting this in 1928. Bengal was under British rule. The Bengal School was a movement of cultural recovery. Artists were trying to find an Indian visual language that colonialism had tried to erase. Ghoshal chose to paint a saint walking in the dark, driven by love, refusing to wait for permission. That feels like a quiet act of resistance. He was not painting for the British Academy. He was painting for his own people, his own gods, his own nights. Also, the painting hangs in India House in London. There is something bittersweet about that. A Bengali artist's vision of a Bengali saint, now living in the capital of the former empire. But perhaps that is fitting. The abhishar is a journey. The painting itself has travelled. And maybe, standing before it in London, a visitor from Bengal might feel the same ache that Chaitanya felt. The longing for home.
