Tissarakshita, Queen of Asoka

“Tissarakshita, Queen of Ashoka” is a popular artwork created by Indian artist Abanindranath Tagore, created in the early half of the 20th century. A graduate from the Bengal School of Art, known for merging Indian themes with wash painting techniques inspired by East Asian art. This particular artwork is admired for its poetice representation of historical storytelling and restrained spiitual expression. Tagore has quite thoughtfully used the wash technique— thin, translucent layers of watercolour, giving it the appearance of a soft, ethereal ambience echoing the delicate aesthetics of Mughal miniatures and Japanese painting. The artwork depicts Queen Tissarakshita in an orientation of right profile view, elegantly frozen in the midst of her moment of contemplation. Her garments, jewellery and just the overall attire showcase her as a royal and connected to a period of then prevailing rule of Emperor Ashoka, an iconic ruler in the Indian history. The background includes floral patterns and various other objects rendered with a decorative style, resulting in an enhanced ambience and setting of the scene. The surrounding elements strengthen the depiction of the queen, conveying both royal sophistication and serene elegance. The intricate line work harmonising with the soft colour palette characterise Tagore’s approach of revivng cultural artistic influences and revolting against the European academic painting styles prevalent during the British Raj. The key insight from this artwork is that it isn’t just an ordinary portrait of a queen. It highlights Tissarakshita, the wife of Emperor Ashoka, in relation to the Bodhi Tree, a sacred symbol in the religion of Buddhisim. According to the tale, she grew envious of the reverence shown by Ashoka to the tree and attempted to destroy it. Tissarakshita is captured in a moment of her emotional complexity, instead of simply being portrayed as villainous. There exists a contrast between the authorative power of the queen and the spiritual identity and significance of the Bodhi tree, creating the core tension of the artwork. Abanindranath Tagore captures the queen’s mixed feelings of both her triumph of her ego satisfaction and the regret as she stares at the wilting Bodhi tree. The Queen’s suspicion that her husband was sending precious jewels to another woman clouded her judgment and led her to take the grave step of poisoning the sacred tree. “Tissarakshita, Queen of Ashoka” supported in establishing Abanindranath Tagore as a leading figure in the early history of Indian modern art. By combining Indian historical themes with refined Asian techniques, this artwork influenced the subsequent generations of artists at Santiniketan and the Indian modernist movement. The painting is am emblem of India’s cultural reawakening in the early 20th-century. The original artwork was gifted to Queen Mary in 1912 by Lady Hardinge in Calcutta during her visit to India. The painting is currently a collection in the Royal Collection on Windsor Castle in Berkshire, England, UK. Signed - A Tagore – completed on the 29th December 1911.

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