From the karkhana to the studio: A study in the changing social roles of patron and artist in Bengal

166 Pages·1990·22.568 MB·English

by  Ratnabali Chatterjee

From the Karkhamz to the Studio
A Study in the Changing Social Rules OF Patron and
Artist in Bengal
IATHLBLLI CHATTERJEE
'5"
$.BOOKS
: "" Iiillnlllnuslnluwt
HEW DELHI 11“ UFB
Clo 31¢
_ ---- —| -._ 3-.,._ ,__. ._
N
11
' 5'5 re My Mother
C35
15-F19
Firlt published in 1990
Q Author
ISBH 8135016 28 3
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in 1
retrieve] system or transmitted in any form or by any mean|——elev:t:ronio, mechani-
oil, photocopying, recording or otherwi:.e—withnut the prior permiuion of the
publisher.
Publisher:
Indromohnn Sharma
Books J: Book:
C4A,f20A Jannitpuri, New Delhi l1lJ 058
Printers:
Ten‘: Print India
A-JSIZ, htayapuri. Phase-I, New Delhi lltl U64
Piano: Raj Press . ' -
51, Mohan Sing]: Piece
New Dethi I.I,D 001- - , I
= Clo git II--I .;r.¢-,.,
CONTENTS
Preface vii
Iflustralfons i1
Introduction l
Murshidabad : The Artist and the Korkhtmo I0
Kalighat : Painting and Experience in Outcast Calcutta 45
Nationalism and Form TF4
The Artist in the Studio 1 Jamini Roy and Consumer
t..h;h-u-.1-r~.a|-~
Society [13
Select Bibfiogrophy 133
‘ C-9 .I'---1 -.-:1-.--F |.i—||.1--4"--J
U‘ I lf
D'@"'1‘*“ “F (500316 UN|VEH5|lEl|*|'F2JFnl\=lllCH|GAN
ILLUSTRATIDNS
Court Scene from Na!-we-Danton manuscript, circa eighteenth
century, Murshidabad (courtesy Victoria Memorial Hall,
Calcutta).
Hunting Scene from Nu!-we-Damon manuscript, circa eighteenth
century, Murshidabad (courtesy Victoria Memorial Hall,
Calcutta).
Mughal Emperor Shah Alam granting the Dewany of Bengal to
Lord Clive —artist Benjamin West, IEIS a.o. (courtesy Hazar-
duary Palace, Murshidabad).
Alivardi sitting with courtiers, eighteenth century, Murshidabad
(courtesy Victoria and Albert Museum, London).
Portrait of Fullerton by an Indian artist, eighteenth century
(courtesy India Clffice Library, London).
Warren Hastings and his wife-—medium: oil painting, artist: John
Zoltany (‘Victoria Memorial Hall, Calcutta).
European child going pony riding, circa eighteenth century,
Company School—artist: Muhammed Amir of Kareya.
Kamale-Kamini Pur—Chand Sadagar and his sons, early
nineteenth century (courtesy Asutosh Museum of Indian Art,
University of Calcutta}.
Fake rnendicant, nineteenth century, Kalight {courtesy Asutosh
Museum of Indian Art, University oi‘ Calcutta).
Balm, nineteenth century, Kalighat (courtesy Asutosh Museum
of Indian Art, University of Calcutta).
Bubu and courtesan, nineteenth century, Kalight (Asutosh
Museum of Indian Art, University of Calcutta).
Courtesan being adored by her lover, nineteenth century,
Kalighat {courtesy Indian Museum, Calcutta).
Clo 31¢
viii From the Kurkimnn to the Studio
Ghor Knit, wood-cut print, circa nineteenth century, Calcutta
{courtesy Victoria Memorial Hall).
Victory of Indrajit—-artist: Raja Ravi Varma (courtesy Sri Jaya-
cbamarajendra Art Gallery, Mysore).
The passing of Shahjahan—-artist: Abanindranath Tagore
(courtesy Rabindra Bharati Society, Calcutta).
Abfn'ruriku—artist: Abanindranath Tagore (courtesy Indian
Museum, Calcutta].
Bharat Mata—artist:-itbanindranath Tagore (courtesy Rahindra
Bharati Society, Calcutta).
Kn-run Group, I931-—-medium: tempera, artist: Jamini Roy
(courtesy Mrs. Pranti Dey, Calcutta).
Christ, 1938-—rnedium: tempera, artist: Jarnini Roy (courtesy
Sahid Suhrawardy).
Women, 1928-medium: drawings, artist: Jamini Roy (courtesy
Mrs. Pranati Dey, Calcuttta).
Santhal Couple, l934—medium: tempera, artist Jamini Roy
(courtesy John Irwin).
Front cover: Tvro illustrations from the Nu!-we-Damon manuscript
and one painting by Jamini Roy
Back cover: Tagore‘s Studio—ink-drawing by Nandalal Bose i
GK] ||_§'--—. 1'.-|.'.|
PREFACE
People who visit Calcutta’s art galleries are outnumbered by
theatregoers and filmaddicts. Even fewer people buy paintings. Yet
mythological paintings done in oil decorated the library of my grand-
father, a small landowner; while his contemporaries commissioned
landscapes, portraits and, when their mood turned amorous, paintings
oi‘ plump European beauties, Venus or Psyche at bath. The peasants
bought potor in village fairs or on their visits to the temple at
Kalighat. Today we hang mass produced prints of masterpieces,
posters or calendar pictures._ This shift in taste, supported by changed
ideology, needs to be explored. Interesting studies of the history cl’
taste have been attempted by a number of art historians. My work
began tentatively by using the parameters of social history of art, laid
down by them. Pierre Bordeaux’s Distinctions appeared in English
translations alter most of my work was completed; it opened up many
more avenues of enquiry.
In this book I have attempted to chronologically chart the
interactions between the artists and their audience, to clarify how the
instituted artist of the court producing for an exclusive elientelle was
marginalised along with the popular artists facing the onslaught of
colonialism. In the colonial phase the norms and practice of art
changed with our absorption of English education, paradoxically
giving use at the same time to the concept of Indianness of Indian art.
This Indianness in its many variants became a marketable commodity
which has continued to harness the Indian artists and their audience
in their attempts to establish an identity.
Some portions of this work had been published in various
journals including Social Scientist, Journal ofArtsandIdeas, Yubomuncs,_
and in two anthologies, European Artists and India, IFUU-I900 (edited
by Dr. Hiren Chakrabarty, Calcutta, I98?) and Murxbud 0 Handou-
tottvu (edited by Shri Suhas Chattopadhyay, Calcutta, 1984). I take
Clo 31¢
3 Front the Iorkhonu to the Studio
this opportunity to thank the editors of these books and journals. I
am grateful to the librarians and members of the stall‘ of ditferent
libraries and museums for thier valuable assistance: the National
Library, Calcutta; the Library of the Asiatic Society, Calcutta; the
Library of the History Department, Calcutta University; Indian
Museum, Calcutta; Rabindra Bharati Society, Calcutta; Victoria
"Memorial Hall, Calcutta; Gallery of Jamini Roy’s paintings, Calcutta;
Nandan Museum; Visvabharati, Santiniketan; National Museum,
New Delhi; National Gallery of Modern Arts, New Delhi and Victoria
and Albert Museum, London; The Indian Oflice Library, London.
For useful suggestions and continuous encouragement, I am
deeply indebted to Dr. Arun Dasgupla, Dr. Amita Ray, Dr.
Aniruddha Ray,_Dr. Chitrarekha Gupta and Shri Gautant Bhadra of
Calcutta University; Dr. Tanika Sarkar, St. Stephen’s College, Delhi;
Dr. Sumit Sarkar of Delhi University; Shri Subir Ray Chaudhuri. Shri
Manbendra Bandopadhyay, Dr. Jasodbara Bagchi, Shri Mihir
Bhattacharya, Dr. Malini Bhattacharya and Shri Sibaji Bandopadhyay
of Jadavpur University; Smt. Kalyani Dutta and Smt. Kalyani Ghosh
of Basanti Devi College, Calcutta; Dr. Barun De and Dr. Nirmala
Bandopadhyay of the Centre for Social Sciences, Calcutta; Shri Shiv
Kumar, Kala Bhavan, Visva Bharati; Shri Pratip Mitra and Smt.
Sumcdha Mitra of the West Bengal Directorate of Archaeology;
Shri Pratibha Ranjan Maitra of Murshidabad District Collectorate,
Berhampore, West Bengal; -‘Q Shri Sumanta Bannerjee, New Delhi;
Smt. Maclhnsree Dutta, Bombay; Dr. Tapati Guha Thalturta, Calcutta;
Ms. Salima Hashmi, Associate Professor, College of Arts Lahore; Dr.
Himani Bannerjee, York University, Toronto; Dr. Chandra Crhosh,
Dr. Norman Hindson and Smt. Sibani Ray Chaudhuri of London.
Shri Nirmalya Chatterjee and Shri Kumar Ghosh helped with the
photogradhy while the typcacript was painstaltingly prepared by Shri
Jamini Gangopadhyay. The introductory portion was corrected by
ShriSamik.Banner_iee while the rest of the book was edited by my
husband, Shri -Tirthankar Chattopadhyay of ' Kalyani University. If
errors still survive, the blame is mine. Shri ELM. Pande, Director,
School of Archeology and Shri Indramohan Shanna ol‘ Books and
Clo 31¢
Preface xi
Books, New Delhi, are remembered with special gratitude as without
the‘1r1'nterest the book would never have been publis' hed. I coulcl not
have concentrated on this work for so many years without the lovmg
care of Tara Didi, my aged nurse and lifelong companion.
Calcutta Itatnabali Chatterjee
January I, I990
Clo 31¢
U‘ I |f
D'9"""‘*“ “F (500316 uw|vERs|%rgFr?\;TcH|@AM