The Government College of Art & Craft (GCAC) in

Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...

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 ...

. 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 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 ...

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. Y ...

of all classes, industrial art based on scientific methods." as the School of Industrial Art. 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 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 joined the school as its principal on July 6, 1896.

Havell, Brown and Abanindranath

Ernest Binfield Havel 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 Briti ...

. 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 Sw ...

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,

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 s ...

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, 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 ai ...

*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 th ...

*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 techni ...

*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'' 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 princip ...

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 Aban ...

, Lain Singh Bangdel, Atul Bose,

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 wa ...

, Rajen Tarafdar,

Jainul Abedin Zainul Abedin (29 December 1914 – 28 May 1976) was a Bangladeshi painter born in Mymensingh, East Bengal, British India (now Bangladesh). He became well known in 1944 through his series of paintings depicting some of the great famines in ...

, Hemen Majumdar,

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, Sunil Das,

Samir Mondal Samir Mondal ( bn, সমীর মণ্ডল) (born 13 March 1952) is an Indian watercolour painter. His main contribution to Indian art of modern times is a continual revival of watercolour painting. Early life and education Born in Balti, ...

, Jogen Chowdhury,

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 watercolo ...

Pulak Biswas Pulak Biswas (1941—29 August 2013) is a leading artist and children's book illustrator from India. Biography Biswas was born in Dhaka, British India. After training at the Government College of Art, Kolkata, he worked for many years in the a ...

, 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, ...

, Sanatan Dinda,

Biman Bihari Das Biman Bihari Das is an Indian sculptor and former Principal of the Government College of Art & Craft, Kolkata. He was honoured by the Government of India, in 2014, by bestowing on him the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, for his serv ...

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