The Government College of Art & Craft (GCAC) in Kolkata is one of the oldest Art colleges in India. It was founded on 16 August 1854 at Garanhata, Chitpur, "with the purpose of establishing an institution for teaching the youth of all classes, industrial art based on scientific methods." as the School of Industrial Art. The institute was later renamed as the Government School of Art, and in 1951 it became the Government College of Art & Craft.Bagal, Jogesh Chandra (1966). History of the Govt. College of Art and Craft in the Centenary: Government College of Art & Craft, Calcutta, Calcutta: Government College of Art & Craft, pp. 1–58.
History The school opened on 16 August 1854 at Garanhata as a private art school. The school was shifted to the building of Mutty Lall Seal in Colootola in November 1854. In 1859, Garick joined as Head Teacher. In 1864, it was taken over by the government and on 29 June 1864, Henry Hover Locke joined as its principal. It was soon renamed as the Government School of Art. Locke made a comprehensive scheme of Curriculum of studies for the institution. The venue of the school was shifted to 166, Bowbazar Street in the 1880s. After the death of Locke on 25 December 1885 M. Schaumburg became the new principal. A new post of Assistant Principal was created, and on 29 January 1886, an Italian artist O. Ghilardi joined the post. In February 1892, the institute was shifted to its present site adjacent to the Indian Museum. After the death of its principal, Jobbins Ernest Binfield Havel joined the school as its principal on 6 July 1896.
Havell, Brown and Abanindranath Ernest Binfield Havel was the principal from 1896 to 1905. He attempted to reform teaching to emphasise Indian traditions, leading to the emergence of the style known as the Bengal school of art. Percy Brown was the next principal, who took over from the officiating Principal Abanindranath Tagore on 12 January 1909. He served as Principal up to 1927. From 15 August 1905 to 1915, Abanindranath Tagore was the Vice-Principal of the college, and worked towards developing an Indian style of Art, which gave birth to the Bengal school of art,Govt. College of Art and Craft. indiaeducation.ernet.in an agenda that was to be pursued at the Kala Bhavan, Shantiniketan.
Mukul Dey as principal On 11 July 1928, Mukul Chandra Dey became the principal. In October 1931, it started its quarterly magazine, Our Magazine, which published the reproductions of the works of its students and the faculty. Mukul Dey was the Principal of the institute till 1943.
Chintamoni Kar as principal For a long period in the 60s and 70s, it was headed by Chintamoni Kar, who was appointed Principal on 1 August 1956.
Department Painting Drawing Portrait Making Life Study Antique Study Still Life Composition Mural Print Making Sketch
Indian painting Drawing Life Study Mural Composition Museum Study Nature Study Copy from Old Masters Print Making Sketch
Modelling & Sculpture Life Study Head Study Portrait Composition Moulding and Casting (Bronze and Fibreglass casting) Stone Carving Direct Plaster Clay Modelling Wood Carving Terracotta Repousse (embossing) Mixed Media
Graphic Design / Applied Art Drawing Sketch Advertising Print & Electronic Media 3-D Design Typography Out-of-Home Advertisement Illustration Print Making Photography Audio Visual Media
Textile Design Weaving Printing (Block Printing, Screen Printing and others) Dyeing (Tie and Dye, Batik, etc.) Design Drawing Life Study Sketch
Ceramic Art & Pottery Designing Finishing Glazing Firing Ceramic Mural Ceramic Sculpture Functional and Expressional Pottery Drawing
Design: Wood and leather Design and Execution in Wood and Leather Mixed Media Composition Water Colour Oil Colour Mixed Media Object Drawing Life Drawing Sketch Painting Mural Wooden Sculpture Interior Design
Printmaking Relief Process: Lino or Traditional Wood Surface Planographic: Lithography Intaglio: Etching Stencil: Silk Screen Computer Graphics and Digital Printing
Alumni
See also: Government College of Art & Craft alumni Notable alumni of this institute include Nandalal Bose, Jamini Roy, Kisory Roy, Lain Singh Bangdel, Hemchandra Kanungo, Atul Bose, Annada Munsi, Somnath Hore, Rajen Tarafdar, Manu Munsi, Jainul Abedin, Hemen Majumdar, Shanu Lahiri, Ganesh Pyne, Ganesh Haloi, Sunil Das, Samir Mondal, Jogen Chowdhury, Sudip Roy, Pulak Biswas, Ananta Mandal, Paresh Maity, Sanatan Dinda, Biman Bihari Das, Deep Das
See also List of colleges affiliated to the University of Calcutta Education in India Education in West Bengal
References
External links
Parampara Union Website