Osian's Auction Catalogue Creative India Series 1 Bengal | December 2011

Born: 22 March 1849 Shikarbali, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal Died: 3 October 1905, Calcutta Education Schooling at General Assembly’s Institution and Paikpara School of Calcutta While still a teenager, started to learn engraving from Nilmoni Mukerjee of Jorasanko, Calcutta 1865 Joined Calcutta School of Industrial Art (later Government School of Art), Calcutta under the supervision of school’s first Principal, H.H.Locke. His notable contribution while a student was to illustrate the research papers of Dr. Rajendralal Mitra Select Teaching and Infrastructure-building Activities 1868-69 Travelled extensively in Orissa with Dr. Mitra and under the guidance of Headmaster D. Garrick, along with Gopalchandra Pal, Kalidas Pal and Harishchandra Khan, to execute archaeological drawings Dr. Mitra’s work was later published in two volumes by the Government of India under the title ‘The Antiquities of Orissa’ . Most of the illustrations in the book are by Bagchi 1869 Was appointed by Principal H.H.Locke on an experimental basis to Government School of Art, Calcutta along with Shyamcharan Srimani and R.B. Lawson 1877 Accompanied Dr Rajendra lal Mitra to Bodhgaya and made illustrations for the latter’s research on Bodhgaya 1878 Founder, ‘Calcutta Art Studio’ at 185, Bowbazar, Calcutta along with Nabokumar Biswas, Phonibhushan Sen, Jogendranath Mukhopadhyay and Krishnachandra Pal. Though this studio had facilities for painting portraits and executing book illustrations, yet English alphabet boards and copy books along with coloured lithographic prints of mythological and religious subjects became very popular 1880-1905 Rejoined the Government School of Art, Calcutta when Locke appointed him as Headmaster after donating his rights to his three partners of the Calcutta Art Studio 1905 Retired as Headmaster after a service of twenty five years on 1 February 1905 Select Awards and Honours 1874,79 Won prizes at the Second and the Third ‘Calcutta Fine Art Exhibition’s awarded by Lieut. Governor Sir Richard Temple and Dr.Rajendralal Mitra 1883-84 Designed the Certificate of Participation for the first ‘Calcutta International Exhibition’ organised by the Government 1890 Exhibited at the newly founded ‘Calcutta Art Society’, earned praise from Lord Lansdowne for one of his portraits 1892 Elected, Vice President of ‘Indian Association for the Promotion of Fine Arts and National Gallery’, the earliest organisation for Bengali artists (The President of this association was Gangadhar De) 1899 Chief Advisor, ‘Shilpopushpanjali’ , the first Bengali monthly magazine of fine arts (first published in Asharh, 1292, June- July 1899) 1905 Elected, President of ‘Bangiyo Kala Samad’ (Academy of Bengali Art) founded under the endeavour of Abanindranath Tagore Exhibitions His paintings were exhibited at various shows in Calcutta and Madras Annada Prasad Bagchi