Abanindranath Tagore (1871-1951)
Abanindranath Tagore (1871-1951)

Asoka's Queen and the Bodhi Tree

Details
Abanindranath Tagore (1871-1951)
Asoka's Queen and the Bodhi Tree
signed in Hindi (lower left)
chromo-lithograph
11.1/3 x 8.5/8 in. (28.8 x 22 cm.)
Literature
W.G. Archer, Indian and Modern Art, London, 1959, fig. 3, illustrated.
T. Guha-Thakurta, The Making of a New Indian Art, Cambridge, 1992, p. 262, fig. 68, illustrated.

Lot Essay

Abanindranath frequently illustrated stories from Indian history and legends in his paintings. In this instance he depicts Queen Tissarakshita's jealousy of Asoka's devotion to the Bodhi tree.

The original watercolour of this work was bought by Queen Mary during her visit to India in 1911, but prior to that chromo-lithographs of the watercolour were made in Japan. The Victoria and Albert Museum has another of these prints in its collection.

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