Other than a brief spell at St. Xavier’s School, Calcutta, Gaganendranath was a self-educated truant personality. As he matured gradually, he got actively involved in the Swadeshi Movement and terrorist activities of the Anusilan Samity. All this prevented him from pursuing his own artistic endeavours. However, at home he constantly remained a source of encouragement for the art activities of his brother Abanindranath Tagore and sister Sunayani Devi. He also delved into reading, dress designing, furniture, interior and stage décor, photography and acting.

However, Gaganendranath entered painting rather late in life. His earliest sketches and landscapes are dated around 1905. Around this time, he was also assigned to illustrate the first edition of Rabindranath Tagore’s Jivansmriti where he exhibited more of an emotive attempt to concentrate on formal and figurative aspects. This tendency persisted throughout his later paintings.

Soon he started taking active part in the Calcutta art scene and turned out to be the moving spirit for the Indian Society of Art that was established in 1907. He also contributed to the revival of several folk and traditional art forms of Bengal and explored art lithography.