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The Indian Society of Oriental Art was an art society founded in Calcutta in 1907. It organised art exhibitions, taught students, and published high-quality reproductions and illustrated journals. [1] founder by Abanindranath nath tagore
Details of the Society were published in its Journal as follows in 1920: [2]
"The Society was founded in the year 1907 with the object of cultivation by its members, and the promotion amongst the public, of a knowledge of all branches of ancient and modern Oriental Art by means of the collection by its members of objects of such art and the exhibition of such collections to the Society; the reading of papers; holding of discussions; the purchase of books and journals relating to art; correspondence with kindred Societies or Collectors and Connoisseurs; the publication of a Journal, and by such other means as the Society may hereafter determine; as also the furtherance of modern Indian Art by means of the holding of public loan exhibitions of objects of ancient and modern, and, in particular, Oriental Art owned by members of the Society or others; the encouragement and assistance of Indian artists, art students and workers in artistic industries by amongst other means, help given to them by the Society towards the disposal of their work, the holding of public exhibitions of works of modern Indian Art, the award of prizes and diplomas at such exhibitions, as also by such other means as the Society hereafter may determine."
The Society was founded by brothers Gaganendranath Tagore and Abanindranath Tagore in Calcutta in 1907. Following annual exhibitions of the Tagore School of Art, showing the latest works of artists in the new movement in Indian painting (initiated by Abanindranath Tagore, under the guidance of E.B. Havell) at the Government School of Art, Calcutta, the Indian Society of Oriental Art was founded in 1907, sponsored by a group of Europeans in Calcutta. The first officers were Lord Kitchener (President), Norman Blount and Abanindranath Tagore (Secretaries). Early members included Lord Kitchener, Mr Justice Woodroffe (John Woodroffe), Mr Justice Rampini (Robert Fulton Fulton), Mr Justice Holmwood (Herbert Holmwood), Mr Justice Ashutosh Chaudhuri, Mr Rueboson (Sweden), Mr Muller (Sweden), Norman Blount (jute broker), Maharaja Jagadindranath Roy of Natore, Maharajadhiraja Bijay Chand Mahtab of Burdwan, Mr J. Chaudhuri, and Mr Surendranath Tagore. [1]
A school was opened at 6 Samavaya Mansions, in the Hindusthan Insurance Building, Hogg Street, Calcutta. [3] Students were taught by Nandalal Bose, Kshitindranath Mazumdar, Giridharilal of Orissa (sculpture), and supervised by Abanindranath and Gaganendranath Tagore. Students trained at the school included S. Venkatappa, Hakim Khan, Sami-uz-Zama, Roop Krishna, Pramodekumar Chattopadhyaya, Deviprasad Ray Chaudhuri, Bireswar Sen, Sailendranath De, Surendranath Kar, and Chanchalkumar Bandyopadhyaya.
Annual exhibitions were held at Samavaya Mansions. They were not limited to Indian art, and there was a very popular exhibition of Japanese prints. [1] The Society's exhibition in Paris in 1914 was the first exhibition of Indian Modern Art in Europe. [4] The Society organised a Bauhaus exhibition in Calcutta in 1922. [5]
First issued in 1933, the journal published articles and reviews, with high quality illustrations. The editors were Abanindranath Tagore and Stella Kramrisch. [6] Contributors included K.P. Jayaswil, Percy Brown, G. Coedes, G. Yazdani, B.B. Dutt, Zoltan de Takacs, S. Krishnaswami Aiyangar, G.S. Dutt, P.V. Jagadisha Ayyar, Niharranjan Roy, Stella Kramrisch, Khitindra N. Mazumdar
Described as "an illustrated quarterly journal of oriental art chiefly Indian", published from 1920 to 1930. Edited by O.C. Gangoly. [8]
Gaganendranath Tagore was an Bengali painter and cartoonist of the Bengal school. Along with his brother Abanindranath Tagore, he was counted as one of the earliest modern artists in India.
The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) is the premier art gallery under Ministry of Culture, Government of India. The main museum at Jaipur House in New Delhi was established on 29 March 1954 by the Government of India, with subsequent branches at Mumbai and Bangalore. Its collection of more than 1700 works by 2000 plus artists includes artists such as Thomas Daniell, Raja Ravi Verma, Abanindranath Tagore, Rabindranath Tagore, Gaganendranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose, Jamini Roy, Amrita Sher-Gil as well as foreign artists. Some of the oldest works preserved here date back to 1857. With 12,000 square meters of exhibition space, the Delhi branch is one of the world's largest modern art museums.
Abanindranath Tagore was the principal artist and creator of the "Indian Society of Oriental Art". He was also the first major exponent of Swadeshi values in Indian art. He founded the influential Bengal school of art, which led to the development of modern Indian painting. He was also a noted writer, particularly for children. Popularly known as 'Aban Thakur', his books Rajkahini, Buro Angla, Nalak, and Khirer Putul were landmarks in Bengali language children's literature and art.
Ernest Binfield Havell, who published under the name E.B. Havell, was an influential English arts administrator, art historian and author of numerous books about Indian art and architecture. He was a member of the Havell family of artists and art educators. He was the principal of the Government School of Art, Calcutta from 1896 to 1905, where, along with Abanindranath Tagore, he developed a style of art and art education based on Indian rather than Western models, which led to the foundation of the Bengal school of art.
Jamini Roy was an Indian painter. He was honoured by the Government of India the award of Padma Bhushan in 1954. He remains one of the most famous pupils of Abanindranath Tagore, another praised Indian artist and instructor.
Nandalal Bose was one of the pioneers of modern Indian art and a key figure of Contextual Modernism.
The Thakur family, with over three hundred years of history, has been one of the leading families of Calcutta, India, and is regarded as one of the key influencers during the Bengali Renaissance. The family has produced several persons who have contributed substantially in the fields of business, social and religious reformation, literature, art and music.
The Calcutta Group was a group of modern artists in India, formed in 1943 in Kolkata. It has the distinction of being the first artistic movement of its kind in both Bengal and all of India. Though short-lived – the group disbanded in 1953 – the Calcutta Group was instrumental in the transformation of contemporary Indian art and brought this genre onto the world stage.
The modern Indian art movement in Indian painting is considered to have begun in Calcutta in the late nineteenth century. The old traditions of painting had more or less died out in Bengal and new schools of art were started by the British. Initially, protagonists of Indian art such as Raja Ravi Varma drew on Western traditions and techniques including oil paint and easel painting. A reaction to the Western influence led to a revival in primitivism, called as the Bengal school of art, which drew from the rich cultural heritage of India. It was succeeded by the Santiniketan school, led by Rabindranath Tagore's harking back to idyllic rural folk and rural life. Despite its country-wide influence in the early years, the importance of the school declined by the 'forties' and now it is as good as dead.
Kalipada Ghoshal. He was an artist from Calcutta. He was a well regarded student of the Indian Society of Oriental Art and a member of Abanindranath Tagore's Bengal school of art.
Nirode Mazumdar was an Indian painter from the first generation of modernists, and a key member of the Calcutta Group. Almost a forgotten figure today, he strode the art scenario from the 40's like a colossus. Long before his other contemporaries recognised the importance of symbolism, he applied them generously to achieve his philosophical and artistic aspirations. His paintings are based on what he called 'constructive symbolism'. A significant artist of the last century, he was almost a cult figure amongst the art fraternity and a titan of 20th century modernism.
Raman Siva Kumar, known as R. Siva Kumar, is an Indian contemporary art historian, art critic, and curator. His major research has been in the area of early Indian modernism with special focus on the Santiniketan School. He has written several important books, lectured widely on modern Indian art and contributed articles to prestigious international projects such as the Art Journal, Grove Art Online or The Dictionary of Art, Oxford University Press.
Stella Kramrisch was an American pioneering art historian and curator who was the leading specialist on Indian art for most of the 20th century. Her scholarship remains a benchmark to this day. She researched and taught Indian art history for more than six decades on three continents. After writing her dissertation on the essence of early-buddhist sculpture in India, she was invited to teach at Kala Bhavana in Shantiniketan (1922–24) and went on to teach at Calcutta University from 1924 to 1950. In Europe, Kramrisch worked at the Courtauld Institute, London (1937–1940). From 1950, she was professor at the University of Pennsylvania in the Department of South Asia Regional Studies, where she had been recruited by W. Norman Brown, in addition to being a prominent curator at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Kala Bhavana is the fine arts faculty of Visva-Bharati University, in Shantiniketan, India. It is an institution of education and research in visual arts, founded in 1919, it was established by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.
K. Venkatappa (1886–1965) was a pioneer painter, sculptor and an exponent of veena. He was born into a family of court painters in the princely state of Mysore, present day Karnataka. He was a pupil of Abanindranath Tagore. He was best known for his watercolors, with sensible realism. His Ootacamund watercolors reflect his independent vision.
Jnanadanandini Tagore was a social reformer who pioneered various cultural innovations and influenced the earliest phase of women's empowerment in 19th century Bengal. She was married to Satyendranath Tagore, Rabindranath Tagore's elder brother. The Tagores are a scion of the Jorasanko Tagore Family. She got her drapes from the Parsi and Gujrati style and made it herself, which came to be popularly known as Bhramika sari in Bengal.
Pratima Devi (1893–1969) was an Indian Bengali artist, widely known for her artistic abilities. She was wife of Rathindranath Tagore. The poet took special interest in developing her capabilities.
Sunayani Devi was an Bengali painter born into the aristocratic Tagore family in Calcutta, West Bengal. She was a self taught artist, with no academic training in art. Inspired by her brothers, Abanindranath Tagore, Gaganendranath Tagore, and Samarendranath Tagore, she started painting only at the age of 30. She was married at the age of 12 to the grandson of Raja Ram Mohan Roy.
Bireswar Sen (1897–1974) was an Indian painter, writer, and teacher, who was influenced by the Bengal School of Art and Western modernism, but then later developed a unique visual language of miniatures. He depicted grand landscapes, mostly featuring the Himalayas, on paintings measuring smaller than postcards. Sen was popular and celebrated during his lifetime, but faded from public consciousness after his death.