Nandalal Bose : the first Principal of Kalabhavan

Some of India’s best known artists have all been self taught. The list of self-taught artists include Raja Ravi Verma, Abanindranath Tagore, Ravindranath Tagore Ramkinker Baij, Amrita Shergil, Francis Newton Souza, MF Hussain, Tyeb Mehta, Bhupen Khakar, etc. In fact many of India’s best names had always spoken against the pediatrics of art schools. Many like FN Souza, had joined these schools in initial years and then left them, frustrated by the stifling atmosphere present there. 

Yet the importance of art schools cannot be ignored. In fact many of the art schools had also been at the centre of major art movements from time to time. The most important of these schools is perhaps Kala Bhavan now under the Vishwa Bharati University at Santiniketan. The school was established by Rabindranath Tagore (himself a self-taught artist) and had produced many an important personalities of modern India. Tagore’s emphasis of reverting back to Indian Gurukul system and his steadfast determination of not accepting financial aid from the colonial British government had attracted nationalists like Gandhi and Nehru among its patrons.

From the time of its inception, Santiniketan had been at the centre of India’s avant-garde movements. Abanindranath Tagore, the father of modern Indian art and later Nandalal Bose had spearheaded the Bengal School idea which later was joined by such stalwarts like Jamini Roy, Benode Behari Mukherjee, and Ramkinker Baij.

In the early 20^th century and particularly in the post-independence era, another important centre of avant-garde art came into prominence: the Government College of Art in Kolkata. Some of its important alumni include Bikash Bhattacharya, Ganesh Paine, Ganesh Haloi, and in the post-liberalisation phase Paresh Maity and Sanjay Bhattacharya. 

KG Subbramaniyan : One of the Founding Members of the Baroda's Art School

The JJ School of Art in Mumbai came into prominence in the post-independence era. Some of the best names of post-liberalization phase of Indian art like Atul Dodiya and Bose Krishnamachari also were trained at the JJ School.

Another Art School of great repute is art school at the MS University of Baroda. It was established by Sankho Ghosh, and KG Subramaniyan, both pass-outs of Santiniketan. The Insititute in its initial years had followed the Santiketan pattern of teaching but in course of time established its own distinct identity. Some of the important artists of this school are Ghulam Sheikh and Nlilima Sheikh.

Beyond Kolkata, Mumbai, and Baroda, there are other centres of art too which have gained in prominence in recent years. The Maharaja of Travancore had established a college of art in Thiruvanathapuram in the late 19^th century which had produced such important artists as KK Hebbar and NS Bendre. The College has in recent times gained in importance and is emerging as the premier institute of art in Southern India.

In post liberalization phase of Indian art, many art colleges and institues have come into prominence in the cities of Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Srinagar.