Journey's End 1913

Abanindranath Tagore made this painting, "Journey's End," and what strikes me is the ochre haze, like a heat mirage, the very colour of exhaustion. I imagine Tagore, brush in hand, layering these thin washes, trying to evoke the weight of the camel's burden, the sheer fatigue in its drooping head. He coaxes the paper, stain by stain, to reveal the animal’s weary form, its legs like stilts. Look at the darks pooling at the base, suggesting shadows, grounding the beast in its final resting place. Did Tagore feel a kinship with this creature, its long journey done? It's a quiet piece, almost a sigh, and it makes me think about other artists who’ve captured animals, like Franz Marc, but with such a different energy. Here, it's all about surrender, the end of the line. And isn't that what we all face, sooner or later? A moment of stillness, of letting go. Tagore invites us to contemplate that, with tenderness and grace.