He oversees the whitewashing of century-old murals at Kolkata’s government art college

The 170-year-old Government College of Art & Craft, Kolkata (GCAC), has found itself in the middle of a controversy over the whitewashing of century-old Rajasthani paintings on the college premises.

The Rajasthani motifs – painted in repeated, matrix formations on the three-storied arches – are believed to have originated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when Ernest Binfield Havell and Abanindranath Tagore led the institution and actively promoted Indian revival. Art Style in art education.

However, the whitewashing of the murals led to widespread protests among West Bengal artists, including famous names of GCAC alumni.

“The GCAC building has been established for more than 120 years and was under renovation. Cracks have appeared in the three main arches of the building where the murals were painted. We should have prioritized the renovation of the college building,” said Chhatrapati Dutta, principal of GCAC. A Hindu.

He said it was a disagreement with the Public Works Department (PWD) that led to the white procession as part of the repairs to the arches, but he added that the paint used on the whitewash is in the process of being removed.

According to the principal, the mural is a painting of Rajasthani motifs and not a fresco, as many people say. “There are no documents showing when the painting was painted, but it is thought to have been done during the time of Havell and Abanindranath,” he said.

“Part of the painting has been damaged over time, and the other has been damaged due to whitewash. However, we are currently working on plans to postpone the hiding,” he said. Mr. Dutta further said that the management will try to do justice in the restoration of parts of paintings that have been whitewashed.

Meanwhile, complaints have been raised by members of the association of students studying in this school about the erasure of part of the history of this institution.

“Students have been kept in the dark about this decision even though the principal of the college is the Chairman of the students’ association. The painting they painted in white is part of the institution’s legacy and existed even before we were born,” said renowned artist and GCAC Alumni Association president Hiran Mitra. He was a student at this institution in the 1960s.

“The college management said that the whitewashing was done as part of the PWD renovation work, but it has caused more damage to the painting than good. They even rubbed it in pieces,” he added.

Meanwhile, protests have erupted among current GCAC students who want to fill vacant posts including that of a teacher of the subject “Painting Indian Style” and a librarian.

“There has been a problem regarding the recruitment of these positions for a long time. The students’ complaints are valid,” said the principal of GCAC. He added that the appointment of faculty members involves approval at various levels, so it takes time.

“Annual sanctions for visiting students must be renewed. We are working on the appointment of a vacant professional position. Regarding the librarian position, we are trying to appoint a temporary worker by calling a librarian from another institution to do more work,” said Mr. Dutta. Soon, the retired librarian will be appointed for a long term, he added.