Sukumar Bose
| Sukumar Bose সুকুমার বসু | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
12 May 1912 Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Died |
10 November 1986 (aged 74) New Delhi, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
Sukumar Bose (Bengali: সুকুমার বসু, Hindi: सुकुमार बोसे) (12 May 1912 – 10 November 1986) was a notable Indian artist based in Delhi who was trained in the tradition of the Bengal School under Asit Kumar Haldar.
Bose studied art and sculpture under Asit Kumar Haldar at the Lucknow Art College. His most recognised pieces of work are "Nativity", "Dawn of the British Raj - Sir Thomas Row in the Court of Emperor Jahangir" and his murals at Rashtraprati Bhavan (the presidential building in New Delhi).
In 1945, Bose was appointed Curator of Paintings of the Government of India. In this role, Bose worked primarily in Viceroy House, which was later renamed Rashtrapati Bhavan. Bose worked in this role until his retirement in 1970.
Mainly utilising motifs of Indian mythology, landscapes, women and village life, Bose’s artwork and murals adorn the frescoes, corridors and various rooms at Rashtrapati Bhavan as well as private collections around the world.
In recognition of his contribution to Indian art, Bose was awarded the prestigious Padma Shri Award in 1970.
Early life
Sukumar Bose was born on 12 May 1912 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, to Sanat Kumar Bose and Bina Pani Bose. Bipin Behari Bose, Bose’s paternal grandfather, was a successful lawyer of the Lucknow Bar. The Boses, with affiliations to the Brahmo Samaj movement, were an influential upper-middle class Bengali family in Lucknow where they were actively involved in promoting Bengal art and culture. In 1936, Sukumar Bose married Bela Chaudhury.
Asit Kumar Haldar became a good friend of the family’s after he arrived in Lucknow to head the Government Art College. Asit Kumar Haldar was closely related to the writer and poet Rabindranath Tagore (Haldar was Tagore’s elder sister’s grandson). Haldar was educated in Shantiniketan under the direct guidance of Rabindranath Tagore.
When Bose’s interests turned towards fine arts he was enrolled to the Government Art College and studied art under the personal supervision of Haldar.
Career
In 1932 aged 20, Sukumar Bose was appointed art teacher at the Modern School Delhi. Bose taught at the school until 1947. Bose, along with his predecessors including Sarada Ukil, has been credited for introducing the Bengal School art tradition and style to North India. (Geta Kapoor).
Throughout his artistic career, Bose was actively involved in the promotion of Indian art and culture. He was a pioneer member of the All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS), the precursor to what is today’s state-run Lalit Kala Academy. As an active member of the AIFACS, he was involved in the publication of Roopa Lekha, a bi-annual art journal.
Bose’s society memberships included the following:
- The Governing Council, All India Fine Arts & Crafts Society
- Army Headquarters Dramatic Society, New Delhi
- Board of Technical Education, Delhi
In 1950, Bose was commissioned by the Venerable Pope Pius XII, head of the Roman Catholic Church at the time, to produce a piece in the Indian style on a Christian subject. This piece, "The Nativity – The Birth of Christ" is housed at The Vatican. - (The Age)
Between 1952 and 1960, Bose conducted numerous solo exhibitions in countries including the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Australia and the former USSR, as well as in cities across India.
When he retired in 1972, Bose was appointed honorary art advisor to the then President Shri V.V. Giri. Bose held this position until 1974.
Work
Sukumar Bose’s style can be described as Indo-Persian. He used largely solid colours such as black, red, gold and silver, but in softer tones. Bose painted several murals and frescoes. Some of his most striking wall paintings are in Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Bose also ventured into modern art by blending old and new techniques. However, Bose always adhered to classical principles of realism. As a result of his art education, Bose was more of a traditionalist, preferring realism over the more abstract styles of interpretation. Described by The Bombay Chronicle as a "versatile artist", Bose was a firm believer in the learning of technique. To him, anyone who argued otherwise was merely incapable of withstanding "a steady and strenuous physical and intellectual hardship." [1]
Bose worked with a variety of subjects such as Indian mythology motifs, landscapes, animals and village women. Bose’s artistic treatment and style of expression of these motifs and subjects can be said to have set the tone for the future trend and direction of Indian art.
Each of Bose’s works was a painstaking study of form, rhythm and natural beauty. For the human form, Bose experimented from time to time painting in the styles of Meerabai and Ajanta.
Awards
1970 Padma Shri Award
Citations
- The Bombay Chronicle, Sunday 16 September 1934: "Sukumar Bose, Versatile Artist"
References
1 The Christian Task in Independent India: Aiyadurai Jesudasen Appasamy, SPCK 1951 (ISBN unavailable), Page149:
"I asked this young man what were his ideals for the service of the country, and he said to me, "You know the writings of Jawaharlal Nehru. His ideals are our ideals and we seek to emulate his spirit. In the realm of art, Sukumar Bose…."
2. A Dream Turns Seventy-five: Kaushwant Singh & Syeda S. Hameed, Allied Publishers Limited, ISBN 81-7023-499-9. "Time's Winged Chariot", Page 65:
"The Hall of Religions is inaugurated by Guradev Rabindranath Tagore. The fresco on the wall depicts men and women of all religions and nationalities going towards the "Light of Truth". The artist is Sukumar Bose of the school of art department. Books of all religions are placed there for students to browse through. It is a meditation room."
3. A Dream Turns Seventy-five: Kaushwant Singh & Syeda S. Hameed, Allied Publishers Limited, ISBN 81-7023-499-9. "The Enchanted Studio" by Geeta Kapur, page 113:
"Then came Sukumar Bose, a protege of Asit Kumar Halder and Biswanath Mukerjee of the same lineage. Here was the Bengal School as well as Santiniketan imported to this Delhi high school in full measure. This was a legacy that spelled a national style in art; it had gradually become, in fact, the official Indian style propagated in every major institution…"
4. Lalit Kala Contemporary. Lalit Kala Academy, 1972
5. Roopa Lekha. All Indian Fine Arts & Crafts Society, 1979
6. The Times of India Directory and Year Book including Who’s Who, 1974
7. Hindusthan Standard, 28 February 1952: "Paintings by S.Bose; Exhibition sponsored by Army HQ Drama Society"
8. The Statesman, 26 September 1931: "Art Exhibition at Naini Tal - Posters praised; charming presentation of Indian life"
9. The Times of India, 28 February 1952: "Sukumar Bose's One-Man Show, Inauguration by General Cariappa"
10. The Age (Melbourne, Australia), 25 November 1952: "Indian Art"