The Government College of Art & Craft (GCAC) in

Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...

is one of the oldest Art colleges in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. It was founded on August 16, 1854 at Garanhata,

Chitpur Chitpur (or Chitpore) is a neighbourhood in North Kolkata in Kolkata district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Sometimes, the entire area along Chitpur Road is referred to as Chitpur, although the various localities have distinctive names. Hi ...

, "with the purpose of establishing an

institution Institutions are humanly devised structures of rules and norms that shape and constrain individual behavior. All definitions of institutions generally entail that there is a level of persistence and continuity. Laws, rules, social conventions a ...

for

teaching Teaching is the practice implemented by a ''teacher'' aimed at transmitting skills (knowledge, know-how, and interpersonal skills) to a learner, a student, or any other audience in the context of an educational institution. Teaching is closely re ...

the

youth Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood ( maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as being a young adult. You ...

of all classes,

industrial Industrial may refer to: Industry * Industrial archaeology, the study of the history of the industry * Industrial engineering, engineering dealing with the optimization of complex industrial processes or systems * Industrial city, a city dominate ...

art based on

scientific methods The scientific method is an empirical method for acquiring knowledge that has characterized the development of science since at least the 17th century (with notable practitioners in previous centuries; see the article history of scientific m ...

." as the

School of Industrial Art The High School of Art and Design is a career and technical education high school in Manhattan, New York City, New York State, United States. Founded in 1936 as the School of Industrial Art, the school moved to 1075 Second Avenue in 1960 and more ...

. The

institute An institute is an organisational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations (research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body. In some countries, institutes can ...

was later renamed as the Government School of Art and in 1951 it became the Government College of Art & Craft.Bagal, Jogesh Chandra (1966). ''History of the Govt. College of Art and Craft'' in the ''Centenary: Government College of Art & Craft, Calcutta'', Calcutta: Government College of Art & Craft, pp. 1–58.

History

The school opened on August 16, 1854 at Garanhata as a private art school. The school was shifted to the building of

Mutty Lall Seal Mutty Lall Seal (also written as Mutty Loll Seal, Mati Lall Seal, or Motilal Seal) (1792 – 20 May 1854) was a businessman and philanthropist from India. Seal began his life as a bottle and cork dealer but later became very wealthy. He donated ...

in Colootola in November 1854. In 1859, Garick joined as Head Teacher. In 1864, it was taken over by the government and on June 29, 1864

Henry Hover Locke Henry may refer to: People * Henry (given name) * Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portuga ...

joined as its principal. It was soon renamed as the Government School of Art. Locke made a comprehensive scheme of Curriculum of studies for the institution. The venue of the school was shifted to 166, Bowbazar Street in the 1880s. After the death of Locke on December 25, 1885 M. Schaumburg became the new principal. A new post of Assistant Principal was created and on January 29, 1886 an Italian artist O. Ghilardi joined the post. In February 1892 the institute was shifted to its present site adjacent to the

Indian Museum The Indian Museum in Central Kolkata, West Bengal, India, also referred to as the Imperial Museum at Calcutta in colonial-era texts, is the ninth oldest museum in the world, the oldest and largest museum in India as well as in Asia. It has rare ...

. After the death of its principal, Jobbins

Ernest Binfield Havel Ernest Binfield Havell (16 September 1861 – 31 December 1934), 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 Indian architecture, archit ...

joined the school as its principal on July 6, 1896.

Havell, Brown and Abanindranath

was the principal from 1896 to 1905. He attempted to reform teaching to emphasise Indian traditions, leading to the emergence of the style known as the

Bengal school of art The Bengal School of Art, commonly referred as Bengal School, was an art movement and a style of Indian painting that originated in Bengal, primarily Kolkata and Shantiniketan, and flourished throughout the Indian subcontinent, during the Britis ...

. Percy Brown was the next principal, who took over from the officiating Principal Abanindranath Tagore on January 12, 1909. He served as Principal up to 1927. From August 15, 1905 to 1915,

Abanindranath Tagore Abanindranath Tagore (Bengali: অবনীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর; 7 August 1871 – 5 December 1951) was the principal artist and creator of the "Indian Society of Oriental Art". He was also the first major exponent of Swa ...

was the Vice-Principal of the college, and worked towards developing an ''Indian style of Art'', which gave birth to the

, an agenda that was to be pursued at the

Kala Bhavan Kala Bhavana (Institute of Fine Arts) 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 Rabindran ...

Shantiniketan Santiniketan is a neighbourhood of Bolpur town in the Bolpur subdivision of Birbhum district in West Bengal, India, approximately 152 km north of Kolkata. It was established by Maharshi Devendranath Tagore, and later expanded by his son ...

Mukul Dey as principal

On July 11, 1928

Mukul Chandra Dey Mukul Chandra Dey ( bn, মুকুলচন্দ্র দে) (23 July 1895 – 1 March 1989) was one of five children of Purnashashi Devi and Kula Chandra Dey.''The International Who's Who 1943–44''. George Allen & Unwin, 8th edition, Lo ...

became the principal. In October 1931, it started its quarterly magazine, ''Our Magazine'', which published the reproductions of the works of its students and the faculty. Mukul Dey was Principal of the institute till 1943.

Chintamoni Kar as principal

For a long period in the 60s and 70s, it was headed by

Chintamoni Kar Chintamoni Kar (19 April 1915 – 3 October 2005) was a renowned Indian sculptor. He received civilian awards from the Indian and French governments and won an Olympic silver medal on behalf of Great Britain. Personal life and studies Born ...

, who was appointed Principal on August 1, 1956.

Department

Painting Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ...

*Drawing *Portrait Making *Life Study *Antique Study *Still Life *Composition *Mural *Print Making *Sketch

Indian Painting Indian painting has a very long tradition and history in Indian art, though because of the climatic conditions very few early examples survive.Blurton, 193 The earliest Indian paintings were the rock paintings of prehistoric times, such as the ...

*Drawing *Life Study *Mural *Composition *Museum Study *Nature Study *Copy from Old Masters *Print Making *Sketch

Modelling & Sculpture

*Life Study *Head Study *Portrait *Composition *Moulding and Casting (Bronze and Fiberglass casting) *Stone Carving *Direct Plaster *Clay Modelling *Wood Carving *Terracotta *Repousse (embossing) *Mixed Media

Graphic Design / Applied Art

*Drawing *Sketch *Advertising *Print & Electronic Media *3-D Design *Typography *Out-of-Home Advertisement *Illustration *Print Making *Photography *Audio Visual Media

Textile Design

*Weaving *Printing (Block Printing, Screen Printing and others) *Dyeing (Tie and Dye, Batik, etc.) *Design *Drawing *Life Study *Sketch

Ceramic Art & Pottery

*Designing *Finishing *Glazing *Firing *Ceramic Mural *Ceramic Sculpture *Functional and Expressional Pottery Drawing

Design A design is a plan or specification for the construction of an object or system or for the implementation of an activity or process or the result of that plan or specification in the form of a prototype, product, or process. The verb ''to design'' ...
: Wood and leather

*Design and Execution in Wood and Leather *Mixed Media Composition *Water Colour *Oil Colour *Mixed Media *Object Drawing *Life Drawing *Sketch *Painting *Mural *Wooden Sculpture *Interior Design

Printmaking Printmaking is the process of creating artworks by printing, normally on paper, but also on fabric, wood, metal, and other surfaces. "Traditional printmaking" normally covers only the process of creating prints using a hand processed techniq ...

*Relief Process: Lino or Traditional Wood Surface *Planographic: Lithography *Intaglio: Etching *Stencil: Silk Screen *Computer Graphics and Digital Printing

Alumni

:'' See also:

Government College of Art & Craft alumni A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...

'' Notable alumni of this institute include

Nandalal Bose Nandalal Bose (3 December 1882 – 16 April 1966) was one of the pioneers of modern Indian art and a key figure of Contextual Modernism. A pupil of Abanindranath Tagore, Bose was known for his "Indian style" of painting. He became the principa ...

Jamini Roy Jamini Roy (Bengali: যামিনী রায়) (11 April 1887 – 24 April 1972) 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 Abani ...

Lain Singh Bangdel Lain Singh Bangdel / Lain Bangdel (Rai) ( ne, लैनसिंह बाङ्देल (राई)) (1919– October 15, 2002), was Nepal's foremost artist, novelist, and art historian. In addition to being a leading authority on Nepales ...

Atul Bose Atul Basu (22 February 1898 – 10 July 1977) was an Indian painter. He was an expert in portraying realistic landscapes, portraits and village scenery. He used oil colors for painting. Early life and education Atul was born in 1898 at Mymensing ...

Somnath Hore Somnath Hore (1921-2006) was an Indian sculptor and printmaker. His sketches, sculptures and prints were a reaction to major historical crises and events of 20th century Bengal, such as the Bengal Famine of 1943 and the Tebhaga movement. He was ...

Rajen Tarafdar Rajen Tarafdar (7 July 1917 – 23 November 1987) was an Indian film director, actor, and screenwriter. He was the recipient of two National Awards and two BFJA Awards. He graduated from the Government College of Art & Craft in Calcutta in 19 ...

, Jainul Abedin,

Hemen Majumdar Hemendranath Majumdar (1894–1948) was an Indian painter. In 2002, there was a huge uproar when his painting was stolen and found with an art dealer. Early life Hemen Majumdar was born in Kishoreganj in British India (now in Bangladesh). In 19 ...

Shanu Lahiri Shanu Lahiri (23 January 1928 – 1 February 2013) was a painter and art educator who belonged to one of the most prominent and culturally elevated families of Kolkata and a first-generation modernist who emerged post independence. She was one ...

Ganesh Pyne Ganesh Pyne (Bengali: গণেশ পাইন) (11 June 1937 – 12 March 2013) was an Indian painter and draughtsman, born in Kolkata, West Bengal. Pyne is one of the most notable contemporary artists of the Bengal School of Art, who had als ...

Ganesh Haloi Ganesh Haloi is an India-based visual artist, curator, and author.Ganesh Haloi's art has evolved through a series of transactions from pure landscape to the innerscapes. Even though it is abstract, Haloi's works and his motifs have precise associat ...

Sunil Das Sunil Das (4 August 1939 – 10 August 2015) was an Indian expressionist painter. He is known for the paintings in his Bull Series and his piece "Woman". In 2014 the Government of India conferred upon him its fourth-highest civilian award, the ...

, Samir Mondal,

Jogen Chowdhury Jogen Chowdhury (born 19 February 1939) is an eminent Indian painter and considered an important painter of 21st century India. He lives and works in Santiniketan. He graduated from the Government College of Art & Craft, Kolkata and subsequentl ...

Sudip Roy Sudip Roy ( bn, সুদীপ রায়) is an Indian artist whose works include water colours and abstract paintings. Art career He had his first solo show in Delhi in 1996 at the gallery Art Today, showing a few architectural watercol ...

, Pulak Biswas, Mrinal Kanti Ray,

Ananta Mandal Ananta Mandal (born 5 February 1983) is an Indian artist. He has been recognized with international and national honours for his watercolour, oil, and acrylic paintings. He lives and works in Mumbai, India. Early life and education Ananta Ma ...

Paresh Maity Paresh Maity (born 1965) is an Indian painter. He is a prolific painter in a short career span. In 2014, Government of India conferred upon him its fourth-highest civilian award the Padma Shri. Early life Paresh Maity was born in Tamluk, Purb ...

, Sanatan Dinda, Biman Bihari Das.

References

External links

*
Parampara Union Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Government College of Art and Craft Culture of Kolkata Universities and colleges in Kolkata Art schools in India Educational institutions established in 1854 University of Calcutta affiliates Arts organizations established in 1854 1854 establishments in India