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Somnath Hore

By the early 1950s, Somnath Hore had grasped and mastered various relief printing methods, including woodcut and wood engraving. A prime example of his capabilities in woodcut printmaking is demonstrated by this work that illustrates a pair of despondent individuals, both victims of the 1943 man-made famine that pillaged Bengal. The man in front, with his distended belly unable to sit up, rests on the scrawny legs of the woman seated behind. Despite being acutely malnourished, the woman with visibly thin arms and legs, hollowed cheeks and protruding ribcage musters all her courage to provide that support. Equally tragic and sorrow ridden, Hore captures this intimate moment in the face of human suffering and adversity.

Although this print was produced seven years after the famine, a young Hore had witnessed this devastation firsthand. He traveled across villages in Bengal, visually documenting the travesties of famine-ridden areas for the Communist Party’s weekly journals – Janayuddha and the People’s War. The famine led to the death of over 3 million Indians due to the gross negligence of the British government. Hore’s oeuvre remains particularly important as it creates a window to understand historical incidents while urging the viewer to become cognizant of contemporary turmoil and make a conscious effort to take a stand.