Bengal School of Painting
The Bengal School was an art movement and style of painting that celebrated an indigenous cultural heritage rather than Western art and culture in colonial India. It 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 Calcutta and Santiniketan, but spread across the country as a voice against western influence.
While the Bengal School artists all had individualistic styles, some elements stayed the same. These included romantic landscapes, historical themes and portraits, as well as scenes from daily rural life. Additionally, there was the common use of indigenous materials such as tempera, or a sombre color palette with limited colors.
In the 1920s, the spread of modernist ideas caused the influence of the Bengal School to decline. However, the Government College of Art and Craft in Calcutta, where Ajoy Ghose spent much of his professional career, continues to train students in the traditional styles of tempera and wash painting. Ajoy Ghose’s paintings and teachings continue to carry forward the legacy of one of the most significant periods in Indian art.
Sources: