Asoka's Queen 1910

Abanindranath Tagore made this painting of Asoka's Queen with watercolor on paper. Look how the dominant colors, ochre and gold, give the artwork its distinctive warm glow. Imagine Tagore at work, layering these colors and shifting tones to create such an ethereal scene, an image emerging through intuition. It's like the painting has come into being gradually, as the artist discovered the subject, stroke by stroke. I sympathize with Tagore. I can only imagine what it must have been like for him, thinking about ancient history and myth, as he worked. The paint is thin, almost translucent, which adds to the dreamlike quality. It allows the ochre underpainting to come through. I see the queen sitting there, hand to her face, and the slight tilt of her head communicates feeling, thoughtfulness. It also reminds me of Japanese Ukiyo-e prints. Ultimately, painting is an ongoing conversation. Every artist builds upon the work of those who came before. It’s a constant back and forth across time, inspiring new forms of expression. And like all good art, it embraces ambiguity and uncertainty, inviting multiple interpretations and meanings.