International studio (26.1905)

" SOLOGNE"
separated from his beloved bride for some offence
committed against the god. On a ioneiy peak in
Central India, calied Ramagiri (Rama's Mountain),
when the month of June ushered in the monsoon, he
culls the wild Rowers as a propitiatory offering, and
then addresses a fervent prayer to a majestic cloud
to carry a message to his beloved, mourning his
absence in Alaka. The poem goes on to picture
the beautiful countries over which the cloud
messenger would pass, together with the birds
and spirits which inhabit the upper regions of
the air.

In the first illustration the Yaksha is addressing
the cloud, and Mr. Tagore has conveyed with
much poetic insight the idea of the mysterious
being, half-human, half divine, seated on his lonely
mountain-top, over which the monsoon cloud is
sweeping. Though he has brought considerable
realistic truth into his rendering of the mountain
mist sweeping through the trees, he has been
faithful to the traditions of fine decorative feeling
which the old school of Indian painting upholds.
If other Bengali art students follow in his footsteps,

FROM THE PASTEL BY RENE BILLOTTE
instead of slavishly imitating modern European
artistic methods, there is some hope of the rescue
of Indian fine art from the depths of inanity to
which it has fallen.

The second illustration refers to the Siddhas, a
class of semi-divine beings who, according to
Hindu mythology, inhabit the upper regions of the
air. The poet supposes that the cloud to which
he addresses his message will pass some of them
on its way; while they will retire from its path
across the sky, lest the damp should spoil their
tuneful lutes.

The affords much scope for Mr. Tagore's
poetic fancy. He has represented the cloud sweep-
ing over the mountain-top. The two spirits of the
air, surrounded by a radiance of golden light,
typifying the purity of their nature, are retiring
before it, while flocks of cranes, rejoicing at the
approaching rain, are circling round "in sportive
wreaths." E. B. H.


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