Santhal Family

Santhal Family (Bengali: সাঁওতাল পরিবার) is a cement and laterite mortar[1] sculpture by Indian sculptor and painter, Ramkinkar Baij. Often cited as his magnum opus, it is widely considered to be the first public modernist sculpture in India.[2][3]

For other uses, see Santhal (disambiguation).
Santhal Family
ArtistRamkinkar Baij
Year1938
MediumCement, laterite mortar
LocationSantiniketan, West Bengal
Coordinates23°40′54″N 87°40′58″E

Subject

The sculpture depicts a Santhal couple with their child and dog, carrying their possessions with them to settle elsewhere and start a new life.[2][4][5] The Santhal people are an Austroasiatic speaking Munda ethnic group in the Indian subcontinent. In India, they are the largest tribe in the states of Jharkhand and West Bengal, and are also found in the states of Odisha, Assam and Bihar.

Description

Santhal Family is a rough outdoor sculpture, made of cement and laterite gravel.[6] The sculpture shows a Santhal father, mother, their child and dog, carrying a couple of possessions with them.[7][8] Having left their home behind, the family, most likely migrant labourers, is in search of a new destination to settle and start afresh. The figures are earthy and embody humility.[4][9] Its subject and medium are in line with modernisation, globalization and industrialization, as they symbolise the dynamism and zeitgeist of traditional Bengal at the time of industrialization.[9][10]

It is currently placed in the compound of Kala Bhavana in Santiniketan. Owing to the unconventional medium, the sculpture is degrading rapidly despite it being roofed.[4]

References
  1. "Santhal Family (Detail)". aaa.org.hk. Asia Art Archive. Retrieved 2022-12-15.
  2. Fusco, Maria (2008-05-05). "'Santhal Family...' Gathers the Objects that History Would Have Imagined Into Fiction". Frieze. No. 115. ISSN 0962-0672. Retrieved 2022-12-15.
  3. "Santhal Family - M HKA Ensembles". ensembles.org. Retrieved 2022-12-15.
  4. "10 iconic works of modern Indian art - Galaxy of Musicians (1889)". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2022-12-15.
  5. "Contemporary Art of India: Santhal Family and Mother Teresa". flexiprep.com. Retrieved 2022-12-15.
  6. An Introduction To Indian Art - Part II (PDF). p. 123.
  7. "People's Artist". The Indian Express. 2017-08-10. Retrieved 2022-12-15.
  8. "SANTHAL FAMILY - Announcements". e-flux.com. Retrieved 2022-12-15.
  9. "Video | Representing tribal peasants with grace and dignity: Ramkinkar Baij's sculpture "Santhal Family" – West Bengal | Tribal Cultural Heritage in India Foundation". indiantribalheritage.org. Retrieved 2022-12-15.
  10. "Five landmark works by India's foremost sculptor Ramkinkar Baij". The Indian Express. 2020-05-30. Retrieved 2022-12-15.
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