write an essay on bengal school of art

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How the Bengal School of Art Gave Rise to Indian Nationalism

1. the bengal school grew out of swadeshi ..

In the early part of the 20th century, Indian nationalist leaders promoted the concept of swadeshi, a movement of self-reliance in the face of British colonization that was specifically effective in the province of Bengal. Swadeshi called for social, cultural, political – and most ardently economic – reforms that would break India from the clutches of British rule. Boycotts of British manufacturers were organized in favor of domestic and local products, which would invigorate Indian industry; cultural movements were to dispose of British or Western literature and visual arts, and to produce works of uniquely Indian qualities, turning to Hindu themes and ancient Indian painting styles.

A drawing of a fish.

2. The Bengal School was a form of resistance that gave rise to Indian nationalism.

During the British Raj, when the British crown ruled the Indian subcontinent from 1858 to 1947, traditional Indian painting conventions and styles had fallen out of popularity, largely because they did not appeal to the tastes of British collectors. In addition to the European painting techniques and subjects that were taught in artistic academies, Company Paintings were widely promoted, which catered to British sensibilities. Company Paintings presented Indian subjects of indigenous plant life or traditional garb and rituals, through both the European gaze and conventions of painting. Rather than celebrating Indian cultural traditions, it simplified them into exotica. The Bengal School arose to counteract such imagery, by turning to Mughal influences, and Rajasthani and Pahari styles that presented elegant scenes of distinctly Indian traditions and daily life.

Drawing of Gandhi

3. There were contemporary British supporters of the Bengal School.

Although the Bengal School was a direct refusal of British artistic traditions, one of its major founders was Ernest Binfield Havell, an English art historian, teacher, arts administrator, and author. Havell urged his students to turn to Mughal miniatures as influence rather than British models of production. While principal of the Government School of Art in Calcutta, Havell helped founding artists of the Bengal School such as Abanindranath Tagore and his sister Sunayani Devi fully develop the tenets and style of the movement and promote its dissemination through educational systems.

A drawing of a man praying at a table.

4. Bengal School Artist Nandalal Bose shared a special relationship with Gandhi.

Nandalal Bose, pupil of the Bengal School’s leader Abanindranath Tagore, became one of the movement’s major artists. Exasperated by the British treatment of Indian painting traditions, history, and artists, Bose turned to swadeshi notions of developing a distinctively Indian modern art. He turned to the murals of Ajanta, and produced scenes from Indian mythology and contemporary daily village life. In the 1920s and 30s, he developed a friendship and professional relationship with Gandhi, who often invited him to produce works for political pavilions. Bose commemorated Gandhi’s 1930 twenty-six day Dandi March with a series of sketches presenting him as a humble but strong hero using expressive line work. These images of Gandhi contributed to the development of twentieth century Indian modernism, identity, and nationalism.

A portrait of a woman.

5. Asit Kumar Haldar was a major artist of the Bengal Renaissance.

Asit Kumar Haldar was the nephew of Rabindranath Tagore, major Bengal poet, musician, and artist. He studied painting under Jadu Pal and Bakkeswar Pal, two leading Bengal artists, and joined Nandalal Bose to document the Ajanta cave paintings and frescoes from 1909 to 1911. Haldar’s works synthesize Buddhist art with Indian history through a sense of idealism. He was the first Indian artist to be appointed as the principal of a Government Art School, and was the first Indian to be elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, London, in 1934. In addition to his artistic production and poetry, Haldar, like his fellow artists of the Bengal Art School, committed his life to social reforms and educational programs that would build a sense of Indian nationalism for contemporary and future generations.

write an essay on bengal school of art

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write an essay on bengal school of art

Bengal School of Art, Founder, Themes and Legacy

Bengal School of Art, also known as the "Calcutta School of Art," was a prominent art movement that emerged in the early 20th century in Bengal, India.

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The Bengal School of Art, also known as the “Calcutta School of Art,” was a prominent art movement that emerged in the early 20th century in Bengal, India. The school played a crucial role in the Renaissance of Indian art and was instrumental in breaking away from the rigid academic traditions of the time. The Bengal School sought to revive and promote indigenous Indian art forms and techniques, incorporating them into a modern context.

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Evolution of Bengal School of Art

The Bengal School of Art evolved in early 20th-century India as a response to Western academic dominance. Spearheaded by Rabindranath Tagore and Abanindranath Tagore, the movement rejected Western naturalism and embraced traditional Indian art forms. Influenced by the nationalist spirit, it sought a distinct cultural identity. Abanindranath Tagore’s emphasis on spirituality and mythology, along with the revival of traditional techniques, defined the Bengal School’s unique aesthetic. Its legacy lies in shaping modern Indian art, inspiring subsequent movements, and fostering a renewed pride in indigenous artistic traditions.

Features of Bengal School of Art

  • Rejection of Western Naturalism: Bengal School artists, led by Abanindranath Tagore, vehemently rejected Western naturalistic styles prevalent during British colonial rule.
  • Emphasis on Traditional Techniques: The school revived traditional Indian art techniques, including tempera painting and frescoes, which were integral to its artistic expression.
  • Incorporation of Indian Themes: Bengal School artworks prominently featured Indian themes, mythology, folklore, and spirituality, reflecting a conscious effort to assert cultural identity.
  • Nationalist Vision: Rooted in the nationalist sentiment of the time, the Bengal School sought to create an art form that was distinctly Indian and reflective of the country’s rich cultural heritage.
  • Inspiration from Ajanta Frescoes: Abanindranath Tagore drew inspiration from the ancient frescoes of Ajanta, incorporating elements of classical Indian art into the Bengal School’s aesthetic.
  • Unique Fusion of Tradition and Modernity: The Bengal School achieved a harmonious fusion of traditional Indian artistic traditions with modern artistic expressions, creating a distinctive visual language.
  • Leading Figures: Abanindranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose, and other prominent artists played crucial roles in defining and shaping the Bengal School’s features.
  • Cultural Renaissance: The Bengal School was integral to the broader cultural renaissance in India, contributing to a renewed sense of pride in indigenous art forms and traditions.
  • Impact on Modern Indian Art: The Bengal School’s emphasis on cultural pride, rejection of Western norms, and revival of traditional techniques left a lasting impact on the trajectory of modern Indian art.

Founders of Bengal School of Art  

  • Abanindranath Tagore (1871-1951): Often regarded as the founder of the Bengal School, Abanindranath Tagore was a nephew of the renowned poet Rabindranath Tagore. He played a pivotal role in shaping the artistic philosophy of the school.
  • B. Havell (1861-1934): An influential British art educator, Havell was the Principal of the Government College of Art and Craft in Calcutta. He collaborated with Abanindranath Tagore and other artists to develop a distinct artistic style.

Artistic Philosophy of Bengal School of Art

  • Swadeshi Movement Influence: The Bengal School emerged during the Swadeshi Movement, a nationalist movement in India against British rule. Artists associated with the school believed in promoting indigenous Indian art as a form of cultural resistance.
  • Revival of Traditional Techniques: The artists of the Bengal School drew inspiration from traditional Indian art forms such as Mughal and Rajput miniature paintings. They sought to revive and adapt these techniques to create a unique Indian aesthetic.
  • Spiritual and Nationalistic Themes: The artworks often depicted mythological and spiritual themes, reflecting a sense of nationalism and cultural identity. Symbolism and allegory were commonly used to convey deeper meanings.

Characteristics of Bengal School Art

  • Use of Tempera Technique: Artists of the Bengal School preferred the use of tempera, a traditional painting technique that involved mixing pigments with a water-soluble binder medium. This technique was chosen for its connection to ancient Indian mural traditions.
  • Flatness and Two-Dimensionality: The paintings often displayed a flat, decorative style with an emphasis on two-dimensionality, reminiscent of traditional Indian art.
  • Harmony of Color: The color palette was often vibrant and harmonious, reflecting the influence of traditional Indian color schemes.

Legacy of Bengal School of Art

  • Influence on Modern Indian Art: The Bengal School laid the foundation for modern Indian art and inspired subsequent generations of artists. Many prominent Indian artists, including Nandalal Bose, Jamini Roy, and Gaganendranath Tagore, were associated with or influenced by the Bengal School.
  • Impact on Art Education: The Bengal School had a significant impact on art education in India. Nandalal Bose, a key figure in the school, played a crucial role in shaping art education policies.

Bengal School of Art UPSC

The Bengal School of Art was an art movement and style of Indian painting that emerged in the early 20th century. It originated in Bengal, primarily in Kolkata and Shantiniketan, and spread throughout the Indian subcontinent. The school promoted Indian modernism and celebrated indigenous cultural heritage. The Bengal School of Art was led by artists and reformers like E.B. Havell and Abanindranath Tagore. It challenged academic art styles of Indian artists like Raja Ravi Verma. The school was a voice against Western influence.

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Bengal School of Art FAQs

What is the bengal school of art.

The Bengal School of Art was an early 20th-century Indian art movement that aimed to revive indigenous art forms and break away from Western academic traditions.

Who were the founders?

Abanindranath Tagore and E. B. Havell played key roles in founding the Bengal School, rejecting Western naturalism and promoting traditional Indian art.

What was its artistic philosophy?

The Bengal School emphasized the revival of traditional techniques, incorporation of Indian themes, and a nationalist vision rooted in the Swadeshi Movement.

Characteristics of Bengal School Art?

Rejection of Western naturalism, use of tempera technique, incorporation of Indian themes, and a unique fusion of tradition and modernity.

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How the Bengal School of Art Changed Colonial India's Art Landscape

  • February 27, 2017
  • by Artisera Editorial

When one thinks of the influence that British Rule had on Indian life, the dramatic impact on Indian art cannot be ignored. While local artists across the country aligned themselves to create art that suited British requirements for several decades, a significant reaction against colonial influence was witnessed with the birth of the Bengal School of Art in the early 20 th century.

write an essay on bengal school of art

Rooted in the pride of nationalism, the avant-garde movement transformed Indian art by bringing ‘Swadeshi’ values to Indian Paintings. Led by reformers and artists like E.B. Havell and Abanindranath Tagore, the Bengal School of Art originated in erstwhile Calcutta and Santiniketan, but spread across the country as a voice against western influence.

write an essay on bengal school of art

The Cause of the Rise

During the British Raj, the traditional Indian approach towards painting had lost its identity. Since the traditional painting styles didn’t appeal to British tastes, they introduced a new form of painting in India in the late 1700s. Known as ‘Company Paintings’, specifically catering to British collectors, they captured India’s flora, fauna, ancient monuments, festivals, and ‘exotic new people’. Done mostly in watercolours, they were more documental than imaginative, characterized in technique by the use of linear perspectives and shading.

write an essay on bengal school of art

Soon, artists like Raja Ravi Varma also began popularizing the western techniques of realism and oil on canvas. But certain factions of the art world began to feel that the voice of the Indian artist was getting suppressed, with no room left for originality or imagination.

Start of the Movement

Ironically, it was an English gentleman, Ernest Binfield Havell, who first reacted against the academic style of painting being promoted by the British in India. E.B. Havell was the Principal of the Government College of Art, Calcutta from 1896 to 1905, where he encouraged students to imitate Mughal miniatures, which he believed expressed India’s spiritual qualities, as opposed to the ‘materialism’ of the west. Havell was supported tremendously in this endeavour by Abanindranath Tagore, the nephew of Rabindranath Tagore, who is known at the Founder of the movement famously known as the Bengal School of Art, or the Bengal School.

write an essay on bengal school of art

Predominant Styles

Though the Bengal School artists all had individualistic styles, a few common features distinctly stood out in their work, like the use of indigenous materials such as tempera, or a sombre colour palette with limited colours. The Ajanta style of painting, as well as Mughal, Rajasthani and Pahari styles were evident influences in the works made by Bengal School artists, who created simple art with elegant and refined figures. Bengal School artists typically painted romantic landscapes, historical themes and portraits, as well as scenes from daily rural life.

write an essay on bengal school of art

One of the most iconic paintings from the Bengal School is ‘Bharat Mata’ (Mother India) by Abanindranath Tagore, in which he depicted a young woman with four arms, holding objects symbolic of India’s national aspirations.

write an essay on bengal school of art

In an attempt to reject colonial aesthetics, Abanindranath Tagore also turned to China and Japan with the intent of promoting a pan-Asian aesthetic, that was completely separate from, and independent of, a western influence. Japanese artist Okakura Kakuzo inspired him greatly, and the Japanese wash technique was imbibed by many Bengal School artists in their painting.

write an essay on bengal school of art

Famous Artists

Besides Abanindranath, many other proponents of the Bengal School are also considered stalwarts in Indian art. His brother, Gaganendranath Tagore was a famous painter and cartoonist from the Bengal School. Together, they also founded the Indian Society of Oriental Art in 1907.

write an essay on bengal school of art

Nandalal Bose, a pupil of Abanindranath, was inspired by the murals of Ajanta, and typically painted scenes from Indian mythology, women and village life. Asit Kumar Haldar, another renowned artist of the Bengal School, was inspired by Buddhist art and Indian history, and took a lyrical and poetic approach in his painting.

write an essay on bengal school of art

With the spread of modernist ideas in the 1920s, the influence of the Bengal School began to decline. But there is no doubt that the revolutionary movement fuelled artists to look for a distinct Indian identity, and in that sense, the Bengal School was the harbinger of Modern Art in India. Till date, the Government College of Art and Craft in Kolkata and the Viswa Bharati University in Santiniketan continue to train students in the traditional styles of tempera and wash painting, carrying forward the legacy of one of the most significant period in Indian art.

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Bengal School of Art

The Bengal School of Art was an influential style of art that flourished in India during the British Raj in the early 20th century.

Jagran Josh

The Bengal School of Art was an influential style of art that flourished in India during the British Raj in the early 20th century. It was associated with Indian nationalism, but was also promoted and supported by many British arts administrators.

The Bengal school arose as an avant garde and nationalist movement reacting against the academic art styles previously promoted in India, both by Indian artists such as Ravi Varma and in British art schools. Following the widespread influence of Indian spiritual ideas in the West, the British art teacher Ernest Binfield Havel attempted to reform the teaching methods at the Calcutta School of Art by encouraging students to imitate Mughal miniatures. This caused immense controversy, leading to a strike by students and complaints from the local press, including from nationalists who considered it to be a retrogressive move. Havel was supported by the artist Abanindranath Tagore, a nephew of the poet Rabindranath Tagore. Tagore painted a number of works influenced by Mughal art, a style that he and Havel believed to be expressive of India's distinct spiritual qualities, as opposed to the "materialism" of the West. Abanindranath Tagore's best-known painting, Bharat Mata (Mother India), depicted a young woman, portrayed with four arms in the manner of Hindu deities, holding objects symbolic of India's national aspirations

The Bengal school arose as an avant garde and nationalist movement reacting against the academic art styles previously promoted in India, both by Indian artists such as Raja Ravi Varma and in British art schools. Following the influence of Indian spiritual ideas in the West, the British art teacher Ernest Binfield Havell attempted to reform the teaching methods at the Calcutta School of Art by encouraging students to imitate Mughal miniatures. This caused controversy, leading to a strike by students and complaints from the local press, including from nationalists who considered it to be a retrogressive move. Havell was supported by the artist Abanindranath Tagore, a nephew of the poet Rabindranath Tagore. Tagore painted a number of works influenced by Mughal art, a style that he and Havell believed to be expressive of India's distinct spiritual qualities, as opposed to the "materialism" of the West. Tagore's best-known painting, Bharat Mata (Mother India), depicted a young woman, portrayed with four arms in the manner of Hindu deities, holding objects symbolic of India's national aspirations.

Artists of Bengal School of Painting

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The Struggle for India’s Soul: The Story of The Bengal School

How the indian art movement defied colonial tastes to breathe life back into an indigenous aesthetic. words by anoushka khandwala.

Abanindranath Tagore, Bharat Mata, 1905

To understand the Bengal School’s formation in the 20 th century, you need to travel back several hundred years. Back to 1613 when the British East India Company set up its first factory and trading post. Back to 1757 when the British took control of Bengal, India’s wealthiest province. And especially back to 1876 when Queen Victoria officially assumed governance of the nation.

Faced with this colonial control, Indian artists of the day quietly reflected the sociopolitics of the time. Styles echoed British tastes, as seen in the Company Paintings, which appealed specifically to British collectors and embodied a ‘realistic’ style that aimed to document Indian life through a colonial gaze. A far cry from the traditional work which visualised religious epics, drawing heavily on natural pattern and sumptuous colour, Company Paintings mostly manifested as careful watercolours that utilised linear perspective and delicate shading.

Gaganendranath Tagore, Meeting at the Staircase, 1920-1925

During the early 20th century, the revered Bengali poet and intellectual Rabindranath Tagore (who was involved in the Indian nationalist movement led by Gandhi) championed the notion that that creativity could be synonymous with national identity. Tagore’s nephew, Abanindranath, helped to form The Bengal School of Art alongside a British teacher at the Calcutta School of Art , Ernest Binfield Havell, who had originally arrived in the country in 1884 to report to the colonial government on the arts industry.

“They eschewed the British realist constraints and sought to reclaim an Indian audience”

Havell grew tired of the British traditions imposed on Indian arts education and (despite the protests of his peers) encouraged the study of Mughal Art, instilling pride in the South Asian heritage of the students. Derived from the Persian miniature painting tradition, and combined with Hindu, Buddhist and Jain influences, this style flourished in the courts of the Mughal Emperors from the 1500s onward.

Born in Jorasanko, a Bengali town, and inspired by his uncle, Abanindranath Tagore channelled his love for the country into the visual arts. After enrolling at the Calcutta School of Art in 1890, he (alongside his brother, Gaganendranath) pioneered the Indian Society of Oriental Art in 1907 . It was heavily influenced by the Swadeshi movement, sparked by the government’s decision to partition Bengal, and described by Gandhi as the soul of self-rule.

Gaganendranath Tagore, River_View, 1905-1915

Autonomy was central to the Tagores’ philosophy, and they began to exhibit artists from their new movement. Sponsored by a group of Europeans, including senior British Army Officer Lord Kitchener and judges from the Calcutta High Court, the Society also played an important role in furthering research into indigenous art. They also solicited the artists Nandalal Bose and Asit Kumar Haldar to explore the famed Ajanta caves and document the murals there.

Bose was later invited by Gandhi to produce political work. Inspired by the Ajanta murals, he also preserved the 1930 Dandi March in the nation’s memory with a series of sketches of the political leader in heroic compositions. Haldar, meanwhile, used his Ajanta studies to fuse Buddhist art with Indian history, and was later celebrated as the first Indian to be elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, London.

The Bengal School emerged out of this work as a movement that encapsulated a national artistic aesthetic. It embodied the values that Havell and the Tagores espoused, embracing Indian history and reclaiming control of the country’s culture. Using indigenous materials and a warm, muted colour palette, these artists eschewed the realist constraints that the British had introduced and sought to reclaim an Indian audience.

Sunayani_Devi_Author unknown and Photograph taken before 1924

  • Portrait of Sunayani Devi, author unknown, photograph taken before 1924 (left). Sunayani Devi, Untitled (Krishna), circa 1920s (right)

“The Bengal School was heavily influenced by the Swadeshi movement, described by Gandhi as the soul of self-rule”

The Tagores’ sister, Sunayani Devi, was best known for emulating a primitivist style, inspired by Indian folk art, and used this visual language to depict mythological scenes. Her work bridged indigenous styles and modernism, synthesising cultural identity and contemporary experimentation. One could imagine that the Hungarian-Indian artist Amrita Sher-Gil had seen Devi’s work and evolved the style further into the modernist realm. Sher-Gil in fact thought the school retrograde , and suggested that it played a part in inhibiting the progression of Indian art. This criticism was shared by the postcolonial Bombay Progressives : a ssembled shortly after the British exit from India, they were intent on evolving South Asian Modernism beyond what they saw as the overly-indigenous style of the Bengal School.

However, it’s likely that without the influence of the Tagores, the mid-century work of FN Souza and MF Husain (which transformed the Indian art scene) could not have come into being. The Indian Society of Oriental Art still has headquarters in what is now known as Kolkata, and the government College of Art and Craft train students “in traditional styles of tempera and wash painting” . The Bengal School’s influence remains an instrumental part of South Asian history.

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The Swadeshi Movement and the Bengal School of Art

Bengal School of Art was an art movement that originated in Kolkata district in the late 19th century but soon spread across the country. This school was based on a modern and nationalist approach towards art. During the Swadeshi movement, the idea of challenging European art that had been imposed upon Indians bloomed. Abanindranath Tagore and E. B. Havell were the main proponents of Indianizing education in art. They rejected the colonial art schools and set up a nationalist school of art in Calcutta with a focus on fine arts. New schools were also set up in Lahore, Bombay and Madras which focused more on metalwork, curios and furniture. Tagore wanted to paint Indian subjects in Indian style and hence took inspiration from the Mughal and Pahari miniature paintings. He also started a journal titled Indian Society of Oriental Art to popularise Swadeshi values portrayed through art. Indian art was also popularised by Kala Bhavan of Shantineketan under Nandalal Bose. The Bengal School of Art moulded many artists like Gaganendranath Tagore, Kshitindranath Majumdar, Jamini Roy and M. R. Chughtai among others. The emphasis on Swadeshi in the Bengal School of art also impressed Japanese nationalists like Kakuzo Okakura who was a strong proponent of Pan-Asianism against Western Imperialism.

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Drawing the Line: Masters of the Bengal School of Art

Modern art in India has taken an unusual route, circuitous enough that it may not be wise to try and pin down exactly when the Modernist movement here began. In the West, Modernist tendencies look at academic art or ‘realist’ traditional art (think Renaissance) and reject its foundations. But India has always had non-realist traditions in art. If I ask you to think of a realistic Indian portrait, the first image likely to come to mind is Raja Ravi Verma’s (1807-1906) oil paintings and prints. Ravi Verma is known as the father of Indian Modern Art, but he painted in the Western ‘classical’ tradition, and since India has inherited multiple non-realist traditions like miniature and folk paintings, is Ravi Verma’s modernism really an act of regression?

The answer is, it’s complicated. Indian Modernist tendencies should not be based on the dismissal of our traditional forms of painting, but instead seen as an exercise in the assimilation of traditional and Western art forms. Modern Indian art is not an aggressive rejection of the past, but is rather a rethinking/repurposing of the traditional. This reimagination is precisely what the Modern Art of Calcutta and Santiniketan represented in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Among the artists was Abanindranath Tagore (1871-1951), nephew of Rabindranath Tagore, the founder of the Bengal School of Art. Although trained in Western art practices, Abanindranath became an active proponent of nationalist and revivalist art, inventing a new school of painting in the process. He retained his European training, selectively assimilating with Kalighat pats, Ajanta frescoes, Mughal miniatures and Japanese wash techniques. His nationalist framework in art became heavily personified later, leading to the creation of the iconic figure of ‘Bharat Mata’. The fire he ignited would be carried forward by several artists in Bengal, especially his pupils Jamini Roy and Nandalal Bose.

Drawing the Line: Masters of the Bengal School of Art - Abanindranath Tagore, Bengal, Bengal School of Art, Bengali Presidency, Jamini Roy, Jogen Chowdhury, Modern Art, Shantiniketan

Abanindranath Tagore, image courtesy Wikipedia Creative Commons

Drawing the Line: Masters of the Bengal School of Art - Abanindranath Tagore, Bengal, Bengal School of Art, Bengali Presidency, Jamini Roy, Jogen Chowdhury, Modern Art, Shantiniketan

Bharat Mata, image courtesy Wikipedia Creative Commons

Jamini Roy (1887-1972) is an artist of many titles — neo-folk artist, Indian Modernist, first Indian Primitivist — who liked to describe himself as a patua . He holds a special place in Indian Modernism, at par with Rabindranath Tagore and Amrita Sher-Gil. Born in Beliatore, in the Bankura district, Roy moved to Calcutta in 1903 at the age of 16 to receive a formal art education at the Government School of Art. Under the tutelage of Abanindranath Tagore, he was formally educated in the European traditional style. His early works are rarely discussed, even though Roy continued to produce them till the 1930s, a decade after his departure to indigenous influences. Roy showcased his technique of line and form here, but not in colour, especially when compared to his larger, far more exuberant body of work. Take this still life of a flowerpot, for instance. The signature short strokes of post-Impressionism here give a palette knife effect instead, and though the perspective and composition are well balanced, the form of the flowers seems separate, aloof. Roy was able to draw on the Western post-Impressionists’ strong chromatism and flat patches of colour but was unable to completely shed representational forms.

Jamini Roy - portrait

Untitled by Jamini Roy, oil on canvas © Sarmaya Arts Foundation

Once exposed to Abanindranath’s Indian Society of Oriental Art, Roy found inspiration in Chinese and Japanese wash techniques. These studies of the East brought him to the realisation that nationalism in art needed to shift its focus from ‘themed paintings’ to the preservation of indigenous techniques. Oil colours were neither native to nor manufactured in India. During periodic visits to his village (1923-1924), he found his authentic self in the material technology and iconography of the village pats/ pattachitras . The tradition also allowed him to finally forego representational forms and move towards symbolism.

Roy learnt how to make natural colours from the Santhal patuas and further incorporated their use of simplistic form and bold lines. This was not mere revivalism, for Roy’s deliberate and often contoured (for emotive effect) lines were different from the spontaneous brushwork of pattachitras . He became the ‘Master of lines’, drawing upon other styles like Kalighat pats , kantha motifs, terracotta clay animals and Byzantine mosaics to arrive into his oeuvre. In his universal yet unique, flat and frieze-like style, Roy painted a diverse range of themes. Not only did he capture the essence of ordinary life — Santhal men and women, bauls, fakirs, animals and birds — but he also incorporated religious and folkloric narratives, timelessly framing them forever.

Drawing the Line: Masters of the Bengal School of Art - Abanindranath Tagore, Bengal, Bengal School of Art, Bengali Presidency, Jamini Roy, Jogen Chowdhury, Modern Art, Shantiniketan

Part of a Santhal pattachitra © Sarmaya Arts Foundation

Jamini Roy painting from Krishna's epic

Episode from Krishna’s epic by Jamini Roy, image courtesy Wikipedia Creative Commons

Roy’s attraction to village life had deepened at the same time that Kala Bhavan (1919) was founded in Santiniketan. Yet, unlike his contemporary Nandalal Bose (1882-1966), Roy refused the opportunity to join the institution. The Santhal way of life proved to be a major influence in Nandalal’s life as well, and during his time at Santiniketan (1921-1951), he grew into the same romantic primitivism as Jamini Roy, encouraging his students to create art that directly connected both them and the viewer to nature. An interesting tradition he unwittingly built was that of postcard paintings, some of the most unique treasures of this time which have come into public view only recently.

Roy’s refusal to join an institution which was in sync with his affinities seems less perplexing when one happens upon his quote, “Peace is not good for an artist. How can that happen? The mind strives and burns all the time in the creative activity of art.” Santiniketan is, after all, an abode of peace. Later, he also revealed that he feared he would not have been able to come into his own under the shadow of a giant, referring to Rabindranath Tagore.

Drawing the Line: Masters of the Bengal School of Art - Abanindranath Tagore, Bengal, Bengal School of Art, Bengali Presidency, Jamini Roy, Jogen Chowdhury, Modern Art, Shantiniketan

Roy was the first Indian artist to explore Jesus Christ as a theme; for inspiration, he studied ancient Christian iconography and photographic reproductions of Renaissance masters. He was influenced from a variety of representations of Christ, Byzantine mosaics and Kalighat patas being chief among them. The figure of Christ in his art is painted in his characteristic style — almond eyes, sharp lips, a voluminous body. Painted in earthy colours of maroon, orange and brown, these images were perhaps the first popular renditions of Christ in the strict Indian vocabulary. The Crucifixion and The Last Supper, showcased here, were his most used narratives. The peculiar aspect of the Crucifixion paintings is that they are devoid of the suffering generally seen in Christian iconography. Instead, Christ’s face is soft and tender as he looks directly at the viewer.

Jamini Roy painting of Jesus crucified

Crucifixion by Jamini Roy, tempera on woven bamboo mat

Jamini Roy painting of crucifiction

Crucifixion by Jamini Roy, tempera on cardboard

Jamini Roy painting of the last supper

‘The Last Supper’ by Jamini Roy, tempera on cloth mounted on canvas

The debate on whether Jamini Roy is a Revivalist or a Modernist is open to as many opinions as there are consumers of his art — after all, such is the power of his ‘popular art’. He evolved an art style that is symbolically distinctive yet emotionally universal, which could be mass produced for a wide(r) range of audiences. In 1972, the year he passed away, Jamini Roy was declared a National Treasure.

After independence, Bengal would become home to another master, a ‘Master of unbroken lines’, if you will. Jogen Chowdhury himself winces at this popularly awarded title, saying, “Art is more than unbroken lines.” Born in 1939 in Daharpara in Bengal (now Bangladesh), Chowdhury developed an affinity to village arts from a very young age. In 1947, he bore witness to the communal violence that caused the Partition, and his family was forced to relocate to West Bengal. These experiences left a lasting impression on him, especially visible in his earlier works in black ink.

Drawing the Line: Masters of the Bengal School of Art - Abanindranath Tagore, Bengal, Bengal School of Art, Bengali Presidency, Jamini Roy, Jogen Chowdhury, Modern Art, Shantiniketan

Jogen Chowdhury, image courtesy Wikipedia Creative Commons

Chowdhury enrolled in the Government School of Arts and Crafts, Kolkata in 1955 for a formal education in the arts. Independence had not changed much in this field, and formal training was still given in European traditions with little creative space to allow for originality. While his artistic journey started with the creation of oil paintings, Chowdhury’s self-exploration really began after graduation.

Drawing the Line: Masters of the Bengal School of Art - Abanindranath Tagore, Bengal, Bengal School of Art, Bengali Presidency, Jamini Roy, Jogen Chowdhury, Modern Art, Shantiniketan

Untitled (Crucifixion) by Jogen Chowdhury, charcoal on paper, 1996

Drawing the Line: Masters of the Bengal School of Art - Abanindranath Tagore, Bengal, Bengal School of Art, Bengali Presidency, Jamini Roy, Jogen Chowdhury, Modern Art, Shantiniketan

Untitled (Boy) by Jogen Chowdhury, pastel and charcoal on paper, 1996

Chowdhury began painting his own ideas in criss-crossing black ink, portraying human beings in everyday life. The stark difference in his everyday life, however, is that it is not romantic, ideal or meditative — it is instead harshly real, with his subjects pained by this harshness. With his series of oils titled Representation of Hell (1965), India discovered a new Figurative Expressionist fuelled by a distortion meant to evoke strong emotion.

Another major learning experience came in 1965, while living in Paris by way of a government scholarship, and training at L’Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts for two years. It led to a period of great introspection, and found him questioning the significance of art itself. Unlike his journey of assimilation in the past, Chowdhury was now on a quest for self-expression that shunned replication, whether Western or Indian.

Over the years, Chowdhury has used several mediums — oil, ink and pastels, watercolour, pen and charcoal, dealing with human figures and inanimate objects alike. But the most special is undoubtedly his mastery of the black lines that form the human body. In Love Letter , Chowdhury uses the body to give expression to both the symbolic and the subconscious. His use of ink and pastels here is an original form of painting that he developed after returning from Paris. With the line, the gaze and the colourless background, he creates a languid, wistful mood. Man Kneeling is another great example in the same style and a composition he has revisited several times. The suppression of the figure here is made obvious through his cramped posture and the definition of his ribcage, yet his gaze is tender, creating a confusing contradiction.

Drawing the Line: Masters of the Bengal School of Art - Abanindranath Tagore, Bengal, Bengal School of Art, Bengali Presidency, Jamini Roy, Jogen Chowdhury, Modern Art, Shantiniketan

Love Letter by Jogen Chowdhury, dry pastel on paper, 2008

Drawing the Line: Masters of the Bengal School of Art - Abanindranath Tagore, Bengal, Bengal School of Art, Bengali Presidency, Jamini Roy, Jogen Chowdhury, Modern Art, Shantiniketan

Man kneeling I by Jogen Chowdhury, dry pastel on paper, 2007

The Bengal School of Art has given us some of the most talented and universally lauded names in Indian art, expressing themselves through lines both fragmented and unbroken, creating worlds full of darkness and colour, carrying on artistic traditions and creating new ones.

References:

  • Indian Art  by Partha Mitter
  • The World of Twilight: Essays and Poems  by Sudhindranath Dutta
  • Masterpiece XXXIX: Jamini Roy , DAG
  • Indian Art: A Visual History , DAG Modern
  • Jamini Roy  by Uma Nair
  • The Popular Art of Jamini Roy  by Meenakshi Datta
  • The Art of Jogen Chowdhury — Dark, poignant and introspective
  • About My Painting by Jogen Chowdhury
  • Kamala Kapoor Essays: In Conversation with Jogen Chowdhury
  • Art is more than Unbroken Lines: The Hindu

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Bengal & Co. – East Meets West In Company School Paintings - Bengal, Bengal Presidency, Calcutta, Company School, Durbars & Colonials, Kolkata

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Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History Essays

The rise of modernity in south asia.

Atteqa Ali Independent Curator

October 2004

The beginning of the twentieth century was a transitional period for the Indian subcontinent. At this time, Indian nationalist leaders increasingly demanded independence from the British colonizers. They implored their fellow Indians to rely on indigenous products instead of those imported by the colonial government. This movement of self-reliance, known as swadeshi , was based on social, political, cultural, and economic reforms that revived and invented Indian traditions. The sanctioned clothing for Indian nationalists, for example, was made with locally produced raw cotton. Ancient histories of India written at this time relied only on Indian narratives like the Mahabharata , a Hindu epic legend, rather than foreign accounts.

The anticolonial fervor of swadeshi was particularly strong in the eastern province of Bengal. In the capital Calcutta, a group of artists known as the Bengal School, led by Abanindranath Tagore (1871-1951), believed they could develop a modern art that was uniquely Indian and not European through the use of Hindu themes and the recovery of older art forms such as the ancient paintings at the Ajanta caves and crafts like Hindu pat paintings. The Orientalist writers who influenced the Bengal School came out of the Arts and Crafts movement in England. Its doctrines called for a return to traditional artistic practices and spirituality in order to counter the growing materialism of the West. The new Bengal School of painting was a deliberate turn away from the type of art popularly practiced by Indian artists such as Ravi Varma (1848-1906).

In the southern princely state of Travancore at the end of the nineteenth century, Raja Ravi Varma made prints and paintings of Indian life and Hindu divinity using oil paint and lithography . His mass-circulated representations are probably still what most Indians think about when they picture Hindu mythological figures. Before Varma made these images, the preferred depictions of the gods and goddesses were stylized and unnatural. Varma introduced the Hindu pantheon as corporeal, earthly personalities. He painted in a classically Western, naturalistic way; but his themes were always Indian, reflecting his desire to develop an internationally respected art style for the subcontinent. Orientalist writers, however, did not approve of his work. Although Varma painted the same figures as the Bengal School, they felt that his depictions were un-Indian and impious because they were sensual and too dramatic. While many consider Varma to be the first modern Indian artist, these writers believed that the Bengal School held the key to making a truly Indian modern art in their updates of local art forms. Ironically, the Bengal School, even as it claimed to be pure, did incorporate ideas and styles developed in the West.

On the other side of the subcontinent from Calcutta, the artist Abdur Rahman Chughtai (1894-1975) was influenced by the Orientalist style of the Bengal School. He created romantic paintings that came out of various traditions, including Persian miniatures and Art Nouveau , both of which were popular at the Mayo School of Arts in Lahore, founded by the British in the nineteenth century.

Ali, Atteqa. “The Rise of Modernity in South Asia.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History . New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/rmsa/hd_rmsa.htm (October 2004)

Further Reading

Guha-Thakurta, Tapati. The Making of a New "Indian" Art: Artists, Aesthetics, and Nationalism in Bengal, c. 1850–1920 . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992.

Mitter, Partha. Art and Nationalism in Colonial India, 1850–1922: Occidental Orientations . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994.

Nesom [Sirhandi], Marcella "Abdur Rahman Chughtai: A Modern South Asian Artist." Ph.D. diss. Ohio State University, 1984.

Additional Essays by Atteqa Ali

  • Ali, Atteqa. “ Modern Art in India .” (October 2004)
  • Ali, Atteqa. “ Modern Art in West and East Pakistan .” (October 2004)
  • Ali, Atteqa. “ Postmodernism: Recent Developments in Art in India .” (October 2004)
  • Ali, Atteqa. “ Postmodernism: Recent Developments in Art in Pakistan and Bangladesh .” (October 2004)
  • Ali, Atteqa. “ Early Modernists and Indian Traditions .” (October 2004)

Related Essays

  • Early Modernists and Indian Traditions
  • Modern Art in India
  • Modern Art in West and East Pakistan
  • Hinduism and Hindu Art
  • Musical Instruments of the Indian Subcontinent
  • Postmodernism: Recent Developments in Art in India
  • Postmodernism: Recent Developments in Art in Pakistan and Bangladesh
  • Recognizing the Gods
  • South Asian Art and Culture

List of Rulers

  • List of Rulers of South Asia
  • Great Britain and Ireland, 1900 A.D.–present
  • South Asia and the Himalayan Region, 1900 A.D.–present
  • Art Nouveau / Jugendstil
  • Arts and Crafts Movement
  • British Period in India
  • Great Britain and Ireland
  • Islamic Art
  • Islamic Art in the Later Period
  • Literature / Poetry
  • Nationalism
  • Orientalism
  • Printmaking

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write an essay on bengal school of art

Bengal School of Painting: Evolution, Nationalism, and Artistic Vision

write an essay on bengal school of art

Bengal School of Painting: Company Painting’s Colonial Adaptation

Company painting refers to the style that emerged when local Indian artists adapted their traditional techniques to cater to the tastes and interests of British colonial officials during the 18th century.

Bengal School of Painting: Evolution through Company Painting

  • Diverse Pre-Colonial Indian Art: Pre-colonial Indian art was diverse, seen in temple statues, miniature paintings , and village wall decorations.
  • It was created largely on paper by artists, some from former courts like Murshidabad, Lucknow, or Delhi.
  • The shift from relying on memory and rule books (traditional art) to close observation (European art). 
  • It resulted in a blend of Indian and European art techniques .
  • It was favored by the British in India. 
  • The albums of these paintings were highly sought after in Britain.

Ghulam Ali Khan

Bengal School of Painting: Nationalist Art Movement in India

  • Influence: The Bengal School of Painting was an art movement and style that, although initiated in Calcutta, Bengal , extended its influence throughout India, reflecting nationalist sentiments in art.
  • It was not confined to Bengal, influencing artists across India, including in Shantiniketan, the site  of India’s first national art school.

Raja Ravi Varma

Bengal School of Painting: Influential Figures in Nationalist Art

  • Spearheaded by Abanindranath Tagore (1871–1951) , a prominent figure in the nationalist (Swadeshi) movement.
  • Supported by E. B. Havell (1861–1934), the British administrator and principal of the Calcutta School of Art.

Inspirations

  • It aimed to foster an art form that was distinctly Indian in both style and subject matter.
  • They drew inspiration from traditional Indian art forms like Mughal and Pahari miniatures , rejecting the influences of the Company School of Painting and the European academic style prevalent in colonial art schools.

Bengal School of Painting: Abanindranath Tagore and E. B. Havell’s Vision

  • Their primary mission was to Indianise art education, which began in earnest at the Government Art School in Calcutta , now known as the Government College of Art and Craft, Kolkata.
  • Emphasis on Fine Arts: Unlike other art schools in cities like Lahore, Bombay, and Madras, which emphasised crafts, Calcutta’s institution leaned towards fine arts.
  • Curriculum Redefined: Havell and Tagore reimagined the curriculum, embedding techniques and themes from Indian art traditions.
  • Epitome of Mughal and Pahari Influences: Abanindranath’s “Journey’s End” epitomises the influence of Mughal and Pahari miniatures, showcasing his aspiration for a distinctive Indian style in painting.

Rasa-Lila

Bengal School of Painting: Reviving India’s Artistic Language and Cultural Renaissance

  • Art historian Partha Mitter noted that Abanindranath’s first-generation students were committed to reviving the “lost language” of Indian art.
  • To reinforce the notion that modern Indians could draw from their rich artistic past, Abanindranath played a pivotal role in the Indian Society of Oriental Art journal.

Radhika

Swadeshi Values and the Birth of the Bengal School of Painting

  • His vision culminated in the establishment of the Bengal School of Painting, laying the foundation for modern Indian painting.
  • The innovative direction set by Abanindranath was embraced by subsequent artists, including Kshitindranath Majumdar (with works like “Rasa-Lila” ) and M. R. Chughtai (famed for “Radhika”) .

Bengal School of Painting: Shantiniketan’s Early Modernism

  • Kala Bhavana was India’s first national art school, established as part of the Visva-Bharati University in Shantiniketan and founded by poet and philosopher Rabindranath Tagore.
  • He cultivated an Indian artistic style by drawing inspiration from folk art forms prevalent in Shantiniketan and emphasising the language of art.
  • His integration of art into education was evident in his woodcut illustrations for Bengali primers.

Nandalal Bose’s Contribution to Nationalism

  • These posters portrayed everyday rural individuals — musicians, farmers, women — engaged in diverse activities, symbolising their contribution to nation-building. 
  • With tiller of the soil as a famous painting.  
  • They resonated with Gandhi’s vision of inclusive nation-building through art.

Dhaki, Haripura Posters

  • Themes: His artworks, emphasising themes of women, children, and rural life , were designed for broad accessibility and replication.

Tiller of the Soil

Continued Struggle between Indian and European Art

  • The British Raj’s art policy mirrored the ongoing tension between Indian and European artistic sensibilities.
  • While students from the Bombay School of Art , mentored by Principal Gladstone Solomon in realism , were tasked with mural decorations for Lutyen’s Delhi , artists from the Bengal School were assigned to adorn the Indian House in London , albeit under stringent British oversight.

Legacy of Kala Bhavana

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write an essay on bengal school of art

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Miriam and ira d. wallach art gallery.

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Moscow City, Spectacle, Capital of Photography

Nadia Michoustina Wallach Art Gallery, 2003 8 x 10", 88 pp., 46 b&w illus. ISBN 1-884919-13-8, Paper, $25

The history of photography, more than of the city, is traced through 34 monochrome works by photographers who lived and worked in Moscow from the 1920s to the present. These photographs are from the collection of the Cultural Center Dom, Moscow, and were exhibited at Columbia University April through June 2003. An essay, interview, and biographies are included.

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Black History Month 2024: African Americans and the Arts 

A woman reads a book

The national theme for Black History Month 2024 is “ African Americans and the Arts .”  

Black History Month 2024 is a time to recognize and highlight the achievements of Black artists and creators, and the role they played in U.S. history and in shaping our country today.  

To commemorate this year’s theme, we’ve gathered powerful quotes about learning, culture and equality from five historic Black American authors, teachers and artists who made a significant impact in the Arts, education ― and the nation.  

  Making history  

“Real education means to inspire people to live more abundantly, to learn to begin with life as they find it and make it better.” – Carter G. Woodson, Author, Journalist, Historian and Educator, 1875-1950  

Known as the “Father of Black History,” Carter G. Woodson was primarily self-taught in most subjects. In 1912, he became the second Black person to receive a Ph.D. from Harvard.   

He is the author of more than 30 books, including “T he Mis-Education of the Negro. ”  

Carter G. Woodson dedicated his life to teaching Black History and incorporating the subject of Black History in schools. He co-founded what is now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Inc. (ASALH) . In February 1926, Woodson launched the first Negro History Week , which has since been expanded into Black History Month.  

Carter G. Woodson

Providing a platform  

“I have created nothing really beautiful, really lasting, but if I can inspire one of these youngsters to develop the talent.” – Augusta Savage, Sculptor, 1892-1962  

An acclaimed and influential sculptor of the Harlem Renaissance, Augusta Savage was a teacher and an activist who fought for African American rights in the Arts. She was one out of only four women, and the only Black woman, commissioned for the 1939 New York World’s Fair. She exhibited one of her most famous works, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” which she named after the hymn by James Weldon Johnson, sometimes referred to as the Black National Anthem. Her sculpture is also known as “ The Harp, ” renamed by the fair’s organizers.  

Photograph of Augusta Savage

Raising a voice  

“My mother said to me ‘My child listen, whatever you do in this world no matter how good it is you will never be able to please everybody. But what one should strive for is to do the very best humanly possible.’” – Marian Anderson, American Contralto, 1897-1993  

Marian Anderson broke barriers in the opera world. In 1939, she performed at the Lincoln Memorial in front of a crowd of 75,000 after the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) denied her access to the DAR Constitution Hall because of her race. And in 1955, Marian Anderson became the first African American to perform at the Metropolitan Opera. She sang the leading role as Ulrica in Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera.  

write an essay on bengal school of art

Influencing the world  

“The artist’s role is to challenge convention, to push boundaries, and to open new doors of perception.” – Henry Ossawa Tanner, Painter, 1859-1937  

Henry Ossawa Tanner is known to be the first Black artist to gain world-wide fame and acclaim. In 1877, he enrolled at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts , where he was the only Black student. In 1891, Tanner moved to Paris to escape the racism he was confronted with in America. Here, he painted two of his most recognized works, “ The Banjo Lesson” and “ The Thankful Poor of 1894. ”    

In 1923, Henry O. Tanner was awarded the Chevalier of the Legion of Honor by the French government, France’s highest honor.  

Henry Ossawa Tanner

Rising up  

“Wisdom is higher than a fool can reach.” – Phillis Wheatley, Poet, 1753-1784  

At about seven years old, Phillis Wheatley was kidnapped from her home in West Africa and sold into slavery in Boston. She started writing poetry around the age of 12 and published her first poem, “ Messrs. Hussey and Coffin ,” in Rhode Island’s Newport Mercury newspaper in 1767.   

While her poetry spread in popularity ― so did the skepticism. Some did not believe an enslaved woman could have authored the poems. She defended her work to a panel of town leaders and became the first African American woman to publish a book of poetry. The panel’s attestation was included in the preface of her book.  

Phillis Wheatley corresponded with many artists, writers and activists, including a well-known 1 774 letter to Reverand Samson Occom about freedom and equality.  

Phillis Wheatley with pen and paper

Honoring Black History Month 2024  

Art plays a powerful role in helping us learn and evolve. Not only does it introduce us to a world of diverse experiences, but it helps us form stronger connections. These are just a few of the many Black creators who shaped U.S. history ― whose expressions opened many doors and minds.  

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The History of Moscow City

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Published: Feb 12, 2019

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[Re]considering the male gaze in Italian Baroque sculpture

photo of Baroque style bust statue

The Lamar Dodd School of Art directs us to this essay written by art history student Gabriela Diaz-Jones published in The Classic Journal, the Franklin College Writing intensive Program's journal of undergraduate writing and research, “ Baroque Women in Marble as Intimate or Intricate.” Diaz-Jones explores the objectification of female sitters sculpted in marble during the Italian Baroque era, focusing on two busts, one by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and the other by Alessandro Algardi:

The two artworks are borne from nearly opposite contexts. Algardi created a poised, almost lifeless portrait, befitting of its likely funerary purpose. Bernini, on the other hand, carved a work that is stunningly intimate and energetic, gesturing to his secret sexual relationship with Costanza. Bernini’s invention of the “speaking likeness,” the concept of ownership regarding women’s jewelry and clothing during this period, sexual connotations of women’s hair, the myth and symbolism of Medusa, and the legacy of men’s signing images of women as assertions of ownership all come into play when examining and interrogating these works. The tenor of this paper will be that both busts, while they have entirely opposite approaches to depicting women (formal versus intimate, reserved versus dynamic) are still stunningly alike. In both artworks, male artists used sculpture to construct an idealized version of a woman, either moral or seductive. Ultimately both “constructions” are fictions, not reflective of reality but rather, reflections of the role they wanted these women to play (deceased wife of a patron, or lover.) Bernini and Algardi both brought marble to life in the quintessential Baroque style, but the “life” that they imbued into the rock was, without a doubt, not their subjects’ own.

Read the entire essay .

Image: Algardi, Alessandro.  Bust of Maria Cerri Capranica , 1640, marble, 90 x 61.3 x 29.2 cm, The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, California (Artstor, ITHAKA).

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Art in Moscow: Museums, Galleries and Museum-Reserves

There is no strict dress code in Moscow museums. However, if you are going to explore ancient churches and holy places we recommend more conservative outwear. Women should have their heads covered.

All state museums and galleries are free every third Sunday of the month. Some of the Moscow museums are free on holidays, and during the «Museum days» and «Museum Night».

If you’re looking for great cultural tours around art points of Moscow, we have a great MOSCOW ART & DESIGN TOUR , available for you everyday except Mondays.

Moscow Museums

The Moscow Kremlin

The Moscow Kremlin

Don’t miss a chance to see the very heart of Moscow, the Kremlin, the symbol of the Russian State, one of the greatest architectural ensembles in the world, a treasury of unusual relics and monuments of art. It is situated on a high Borovitskiy hill above the Moskva River, so you’ll be able to see a spectacular view of the city center. The famous Armory Chamber and the Diamond Fund are real treasure-houses, where you can see ancient Russian regalia, ceremonial tsar’s dress, church hierarchs’ vestments, arms, gold and silverware by Russian, European and Eastern masters. The Kremlin is the official President’s residence and remains a gorgeous political landmark. The UNESCO has included the ensemble of the Moscow Kremlin in the World Heritage List.

Site: http://www.kreml.ru/

The State Historical Museum

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Ivan Zabelin, Aleksey Uvarov, and several other Slavophiles founded the State Historical Museum in 1872 to promote Russian history and national self-awareness. During its century-long history, the museum has collected more than 4.5 million of valuable items and over 12 million pages of documental archives. Its exhibitions range from relics of prehistoric tribes that lived in the territory of present-day Russia, through priceless artworks acquired by members of the Romanov dynasty. The museum’s historical building which was reconstructed and equipped to meet all the visitors requirements is on the Red Square.

Site: http://www.shm.ru/

The State Tretyakov Gallery

The State Tretyakov Gallery

The State Tretyakov Gallery takes a special place among the national art museums of the world. Established with the efforts of one person, the dedicated collector Pavel Tretyakov, it possesses a unique collection of Russian art, more than 150000 masterpieces, created by famous Russian artists throughout the centuries. The historic building of the State Tretyakov Gallery at Lavrushinski Lane presents Russian art from the 11th through the early 20th century. The state Tretyakov Gallery at Krymsky Val has an excellent collection of Russian art of the 20th century, modern art and holds temporary exhibitions.

Site: http://www.tretyakovgallery.ru/

The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts

write an essay on bengal school of art

The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts is one the largest European museums of fine art. It has one of the most remarkable collections of fine arts in Russia that consists of artworks from ancient times to the present day. Visitors can see great paintings by world famous artists: Rembrandt, Botticelli, Canaletto, Tiepolo, along with the remarkable collections of Impressionists, Post-impressionists, modernists: Monet, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Picasso and others. Moreover, the museum holds the private collectors’ galleries, many of were inaccessible to public for many years.

Site: http://www.arts-museum.ru/

Moscow Museum of Modern Art

Moscow Museum of Modern Art

Moscow Museum of Modern Art specializes in the modern art of 20th and 21st centuries. The famous Russian artist and sculptor Zurab Tsereteli has founded it. The museum is located in four historic buildings in Petrovka Street, Gogolevsky Boulevard, Ermolaevsky lane and Tverskoy Boulevard. The museum’s collection depicts the development of avant-garde. The largest part of the collection consists of masterpieces of Russian artists, but you can also find works by Anri Russo, Joan Miro, Pablo Picasso and many others.

Site: http://www.mmoma.ru/

The Moscow Planetarium

The Moscow Planetarium

The Planetarium in Moscow first opened its doors in 1929. After a global reconstruction, it was reopened in 2011. Now it is a multifunctional complex that combines scientific and educational resources: the interactive museum «Lunarium», the Museum of Urania, the Big Star Hall and the Sky Park, family recreation center, that focuses on different age groups. The Moscow Planetarium is one of the biggest planetariums in the world.

Site: http://www.planetarium-moscow.ru/

Moscow Galleries

Garage museum of contemporary art.

Inside Garage Museum of Contemporary Art Hall

Exhibit on display during the opening of «Art Experiment»

The museum is a kind of independent platform aimed to disclose and reveal a new way of thinking. The Garage Center currently reflects the contemporary innovations of national and world’s culture. It invites you to the beautiful world of modern art, showing its best pieces. This center offers a great number of various exhibitions, educational projects for kids and adults, and publishing. The Garage Center is also called The Museum of Everything. It provides ways and reasons for public dialogue and the creation of progressive ideas.

Site: http://garageccc.com/

The Multimedia Art Museum

Fifty Years of Bond Style Exhibition

Fifty Years of Bond Style Exhibition

The Multimedia Art Museum opened in October 2010 at the base of the Moscow House of Photography. One of the main principles of MAMM s work is complete openness to the new forms of visual expression and for the fresh, innovative trends in the Russian and foreign media art and photography. There are seven floors of spacious exhibition halls and minimalist architecture that is a great font for modern art. The exhibition history of MAMM and Moscow House of Photography counts more than 1300 exhibitions in Russia and abroad. Moreover, Multimedia Art Museum has different educational programs and holds famous Moscow art festivals: Photobiennale, «Fashion and Style in Photography» and others.

Site: http://www.mamm-mdf.ru/

Lumiere Brothers Photography Center

Lumiere Brothers Photography Center

This modern photo gallery is located in the very heart of Moscow, next to the Kremlin, Cathedral of Christ the Savior, big art galleries, design studios famous clubs and restaurants. The photography Center houses in an old and huge mansion at the Moskva River Embankment. Lumiere Brothers Photography Center has three huge exhibition rooms, lecture hall, library with an immense collection of rare books in photography and an independent bookshop. The Center is conducting research work, organizing educational projects, providing a base for the future Russian Museum of Photography.

Site: http://www.lumiere.ru/

Winzavod

Winzavod (Wine Factory) is the first and the biggest Center of Contemporary Art in our country. It unites all the areas of modern culture: exhibitions, festivals, lecture programs, cinema, concerts, theater premieres. You will find here a big amount of art galleries, artists’ workshops, designers and photographers studios, art cafes, fashion showrooms, a bookshop, children’s studio and many other things. The purpose of Winzavod is to support and to develop Russian contemporary art, art initiatives and help talented young people. Visiting Winzavod you will see the art that defines not only today’s but also tomorrow’s life.

Site: http://www.winzavod.ru/

write an essay on bengal school of art

The Manezh was built in 1817 in honor of the 5th anniversary of Russia’s victory in the 1812 war. Then it was called «Exerzierhaus», building, intended for military drills. The building has the unique construction – wooden structure trusses overlap the space of 44.86 square meters without any intermediate supports. After 1917, Manezh served as a garage for government vehicles. And since 1957 it has been continuously used for exhibitions and public events. In 2004, the building was severely damaged by fire. Renovated in 2005 the Manezh doubled its area. Nowadays it is one of the leading Moscow exhibition halls. There are two exhibition spaces, a conference room and a cafe on the third-floor observation deck. The Manezh hosts numerous fairs, festivals, and exhibitions.

Site: http://moscowmanege.ru/

Flacon Design Factory

Flacon Design Factory

Flacon Design Factory, located in the territory of a former glass factory, has become a pioneer in the revitalization of industrial zone outside the historic center of Moscow. Flacon has become a powerful launch pad for multiple cool projects, self-expression of creative individuals and carrying-out of sociocultural initiatives. No wonder that the atmosphere at Flacon entirely coincides with its motto: «Create as you please!» The Factory includes offices, co-working zone, shops, workshops, exhibition and creative projects spaces. Lectures, film screenings, fairs, design festivals, innovative exhibitions, presentations, concerts, limited actions and design community work days pass here weekly.

Site: http://flacon.ru/

Artplay

Artplay is near Winzavod in the former industrial space in the area Kurskaya metro station and occupies an area of 75,000 square meters. Artplay, providing a new life to carefully reconstructed factory buildings, has become an important part of the contemporary cultural landscape of the city. Artplay unites designers, architects, furniture, lighting, ceramics, decorative materials shops, involving them in cooperation with each other. Young Moscow galleries, artists’ studios, cafes, bars, bookstores, music club, school of design, theater, children’s art studio are also situated here. Three exhibition halls regularly host contemporary art exhibitions, festivals, video art, alternative music concerts, performances, film screenings, lectures and master classes.

Site: http://www.artplay.ru/

CCI Fabrika

CCI Fabrika

The Center For Creative Industries «Fabrika» is an art space for non-commercial creative projects. Today it is the example of peaceful coexistence of art business, operating enterprise, production, and workplaces for talented people in Moscow. CCI Fabrika is a member of the international network of non-profit cultural centers – Trans Europe Halls. This project is a typical umbrella-center. It is developing in both ways: creating and exhibiting its cultural projects and offering workspaces for other creative groups. Here you can find art studios and workshops of design, architecture, cinema, theater, cartoon animation and contemporary music studios.

Site: http://www.proektfabrika.ru/

Moscow Museum-Reserves

Tsaritsyno State Museum-Reserve

Tsaritsyno State Museum-Reserve

Tsaritsyno State Museum-Reserve is one of the largest historical, cultural, recreation and touristic complexes. Its total area is more than 700 hectares. It is an excellent combination of nature – marvelous rivers, ponds, streams, forests – and scientifically restored and renovated architectural and landscape monuments. The museum’s collection of historical items, exhibitions, and educational programs will be attractive for both national visitors and foreign tourists.

Site: http://www.tsaritsyno-museum.ru/

Arkhangelskoye Country Estate

Arkhangelskoe Estate

Russian cultural monument is a good sublimation of the stunning beauty of a green space and luxurious collection of paintings, sculptures, unique books and pieces arts and crafts. During its long history, the estate was used as a recreation place for emperors, politicians, famous writers and poets. Today it is the finest place to have an enjoyable walk and to see the richest collection Russian art.

Site: http://www.arhangelskoe.su/

Kolomenskoe Museum-Reserve

Kolomenskoe Museum-Reserve

A unique historic place – Kolomenskoe – is situated in the picturesque surrounding over the Moscow River banks. A magnificent country estate has appeared at the lands full of legends. Archeological discoveries state that the first settlements appeared here in the VIII century. It is an ancient and uniquely formed place. Today this is a unique complex of cultural monuments of high historical value.

Site: http://mgomz.ru/kolomenskoe

Sergiev-Posad City

Sergiev Posad

Sergiev Posad Museum-Reserve

Museum of Sergiev-Posad is a historical and art reserve. It is located within the unique wall of the St. Sergius Trinity Lavra. This ancient monastery gathered its treasures during centuries from the tsars, princes and boyars donations. Moreover, many art and craft items were made at Lavra’s workshops. Now, the collections of Sergiev-Posad Museum-Reserve include rare, ancient icons, Cyrillic alphabet books, medieval manuscripts, visual art items, gold and silver showpieces.

Site: http://www.stsl.ru/

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COMMENTS

  1. Bengal School of Art

    History The Bengal school arose as an avant garde and nationalist movement reacting against the academic art styles previously promoted in India, both by Indian artists such as Raja Ravi Varma and in British art schools.

  2. How the Bengal School of Art Gave Rise to Indian Nationalism

    Mar 1, 2019 How the Bengal School of Art Gave Rise to Indian Nationalism By Eva Sarah Molcard Originating in Calcutta and Shantiniketan, the Bengal School of Art promoted a distinctly Indian modernism which blossomed throughout India during the British Raj of the early 20th century.

  3. Bengal School of Art, Founder, Themes and Legacy

    The Bengal School of Art, also known as the "Calcutta School of Art," was a prominent art movement that emerged in the early 20th century in Bengal, India. The school played a crucial role in the Renaissance of Indian art and was instrumental in breaking away from the rigid academic traditions of the time.

  4. How the Bengal School of Art Changed Colonial India's Art ...

    One of the most iconic paintings from the Bengal School is 'Bharat Mata' (Mother India) by Abanindranath Tagore, in which he depicted a young woman with four arms, holding objects symbolic of India's national aspirations. (Bharat Mata by Abanindranath Tagore, 1905)

  5. PDF The Bengal School and Cultural Nationalism 6

    Abanindranath Tagore and E. B. Havell The year 1896 was important in the Indian history of visual arts. E. B. Havell and Abanindranath Tagore saw a need to Indianise art education in the country. This began in the Government Art School, Calcutta, now, Government College of Art and Craft, Kolkata.

  6. Bengal School of Art

    By Jagran Josh Aug 18, 2012, 11:47 IST Bengal School of Art The Bengal School of Art was an influential style of art that flourished in India during the British Raj in the early 20th century....

  7. The Struggle for India's Soul: The Story of The Bengal School

    Words by Anoushka Khandwala Abanindranath Tagore, Bharat Mata, 1905 To understand the Bengal School's formation in the 20 th century, you need to travel back several hundred years. Back to 1613 when the British East India Company set up its first factory and trading post.

  8. The Bengal School of Paintings and Cultural Nationalism

    The Bengal School of Art. The phrase "Bengal School of Art" in The Bengal School Of Paintings And Cultural Nationalism is a misnomer. It was linked to the Swadeshi nationalism movement led by Abanindranath Tagore (1871-1951) E. B. Havell (1861-1934), a British administrator and head of the Calcutta School of Art, backed Abanindranath.

  9. The Swadeshi Movement and the Bengal School of Art

    Bengal School of Art was an art movement that originated in Kolkata district in the late 19th century but soon spread across the country. This school was based on a modern and nationalist approach towards art. During the Swadeshi movement, the idea of challenging European art that had been imposed upon Indians bloomed.

  10. Drawing the Line: Masters of the Bengal School of Art

    Among the artists was Abanindranath Tagore (1871-1951), nephew of Rabindranath Tagore, the founder of the Bengal School of Art. Although trained in Western art practices, Abanindranath became an active proponent of nationalist and revivalist art, inventing a new school of painting in the process. He retained his European training, selectively ...

  11. The Rise of Modernity in South Asia

    In the capital Calcutta, a group of artists known as the Bengal School, led by Abanindranath Tagore (1871-1951), believed they could develop a modern art that was uniquely Indian and not European through the use of Hindu themes and the recovery of older art forms such as the ancient paintings at the Ajanta caves and crafts like Hindu pat paintings.

  12. Bengal School of Art

    Emerging in early 20th-century India during the British Raj (the period of British rule over the Indian subcontinent that ended in 1947), the Bengal School of Art sought to establish a distinctly Indian art that celebrated an indigenous cultural heritage rather than Western art and culture. Ernest Binfield Havell, a teacher at the Calcutta Art School, was instrumental in the movement's ...

  13. Bengal School of Painting: Evolution, Nationalism, and Artistic Vision

    Inspirations Both Tagore and Havell criticised the colonial art schools and their promotion of European tastes. It aimed to foster an art form that was distinctly Indian in both style and subject matter.

  14. The Bengal School of Art

    The Bengal School of Art commonly referred as Bengal School, [1] was an influential art movement and a style of Indian painting that originated in Bengal, primarily Kolkata and Shantiniketan, and flourished throughout India during the British Raj in the early 20th century.

  15. PDF The Modern Indian Art 7

    this colonial bias that nationalist art emerged, and the Bengal School of Art, as nurtured by Abanindranath Tagore and E. B. Havell, was a prime example. India's first nationalist art school, Kala Bhavana, was set up in 1919 as part of the newly established Visva-Bharati University in Shantiniketan, conceptualised by poet Rabindranath Tagore.

  16. PDF MARKING SCHEME SUBJECT: Fine Art- PAINTING (CODE-049) CLASS XII

    Write an essay on Bengal school of art based on the following parameters. (i) Origin and development (ii) Artistic features. (iii) The use of Indian themes to promote Indian revivalism in art. (iv) Name your favorite artist and describe his artwork MARKING SCHEME Origin and development - 1 MARK Artistic features -1 MARK

  17. PDF SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER SUBJECT: Fine Art- Painting (CODE-049) CLASS XII

    SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER SUBJECT: Fine Art- Painting (CODE-049) CLASS XII (SESSION 2021-2022) TERM - II Max. Time: 60 Minutes (1 Hour) Max. Marks: 15 General Instructions: The question paper has 6 questions. All questions are compulsory. Question No. 1, 2, 3 and 4 are of 2 marks each. There is an internal choice in one of the questions.

  18. 6Write an essay on Bengal school of art based on the

    Answer: 1) The Bengal School of painting originated in Bengal. Indian art stood at the crossroad after the decline of Mughal Empire, and the beginning of the British colonial rule after the mutiny of 1857. By the end of the century, the smaller feudal states where art survived for sometime were annexed one by the British rulers.

  19. Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Art Gallery

    Wallach Art Gallery, 2003 8 x 10", 88 pp., 46 b&w illus. ISBN 1-884919-13-8, Paper, $25. The history of photography, more than of the city, is traced through 34 monochrome works by photographers who lived and worked in Moscow from the 1920s to the present. These photographs are from the collection of the Cultural Center Dom, Moscow, and were ...

  20. Write an essay on the revivalism of Indian art during mid-20 ...

    Write an essay on the revivalism of Indian art during mid-20 th century. Your answer should include-- Evolution of Bengal School of Art and its role in promoting the Spirit of Nationalism - The role of Indian Artist towards freedom movement. - Symbolic meaning of our National Flag

  21. Black History Month 2024: African Americans and the Arts

    Art plays a powerful role in helping us learn and evolve. Not only does it introduce us to a world of diverse experiences, but it helps us form stronger connections. These are just a few of the many Black creators who shaped U.S. history ― whose expressions opened many doors and minds. Black History Month is observed each year in February.

  22. Moscow: City, Spectacle, Capital of Photography

    School / Youth Visits; ... An essay, interview, and biographies are included. ISBN: 1884919138 88 pages; 46 b&w illustrations Size: 8 x 10 inches In print | $25.00 Publisher: The Wallach Art Gallery, Columbia University Publication Date: 2003. Exhibition Catalogue. Moscow. MIRIAM & IRA D. WALLACH ART GALLERY Lenfest Center for the Arts | 615 ...

  23. The History of Moscow City: [Essay Example], 614 words

    The History of Moscow City. Moscow is the capital and largest city of Russia as well as the. It is also the 4th largest city in the world, and is the first in size among all European cities. Moscow was founded in 1147 by Yuri Dolgoruki, a prince of the region. The town lay on important land and water trade routes, and it grew and prospered.

  24. [Re]considering the male gaze in Italian Baroque sculpture

    The Lamar Dodd School of Art directs us to this essay written by art history student Gabriela Diaz-Jones published in The Classic Journal, the Franklin College Writing intensive Program's journal of undergraduate writing and research, " Baroque Women in Marble as Intimate or Intricate." Diaz-Jones explores the objectification of female sitters sculpted in marble during the Italian Baroque ...

  25. Art in Moscow: Museums, Galleries and Museum-Reserves

    Moscow Museum of Modern Art. Moscow Museum of Modern Art. Moscow Museum of Modern Art specializes in the modern art of 20th and 21st centuries. The famous Russian artist and sculptor Zurab Tsereteli has founded it. The museum is located in four historic buildings in Petrovka Street, Gogolevsky Boulevard, Ermolaevsky lane and Tverskoy Boulevard.