Hailing from the illustrious Tagore family, Abanindranath’s initial education in art began with lessons from Oriento Ghilardi (then Vice-Principal of Government School of Art, Calcutta) and Charles Palmer (from Royal College of Art, London). However, in no time both Abanindranath and Palmer realised that the formal British Academic Training was not suited for the former. Finally, after seeing Tagore’s works based on Krishnalila, Palmer decided that formal training was no longer necessary for Abanindranath since he had already discovered his own indigenous style. Tagore joined the Government School of Art, Calcutta at the behest of E. B. Havell the then Principal. Later, in 1905 Havell took him on as his Vice-Principal.

Meanwhile, Abanindranath had mastered the Japanese wash technique under Count Okakura and his Japanese pupils. Having completed his art education, in 1905 Tagore culminated his style in the painting Bharat Mata which virtually launched the Bengal School Movement and along with it the first modernist vibrations in twentieth century India. Abanindranath created a new visual language moored deeply in the Swadeshi ideals of the turn of the century. Abanindranath was also a fine writer, highly erudite and extremely sensitive. His art therefore was idyllic, mystical, highly profound and deeply rooted to the sentiments of his time. The Bengal School Movement thus caught the imagination of the entire Indian sub-continent and influenced most painters across the region.