Graphic Art in India : L850 to 1950 (A Brief Background and History) Amit Mukhopadhyoy and Nirmolendu Dos Selected Reprod Uction List of Works Contemporary Section
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An exhibition organised by Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi Published by Lalit Kala Akademi Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi CONTENTS Historical Section Graphic Art in India : l850 to 1950 (A Brief Background and History) Amit Mukhopadhyoy and Nirmolendu Dos Selected Reprod uction _List of works Contemporary Section Contemporary Graphics in India I - Joyo Apposwomy 11 - Ratan Porimoo Ill - S.A. Krishnon Printmaking, A Flashback \ Keshov Molik \ I. Printmaking in Bengal : A Quick Survey Pronobronion Ray Printmaking in India : Focus on the Western Region AS. Roman Printmaking in Southern Region Jose( Jomes Selected Reproduction Invited works Selected works List of works GRAPHIC ART IN INDIA : 1850 TO 1950 (A Brief Background and History) Amit Mukhopadhyay and Nirmalendu Das exploring the medium, graphic art became one of the most im portant media for artistic expression and began to flourish through commerci al printing. Before 1964, all the printed pictures for both ill ustrative (commercial) and non The phrase 'Graphic Art' has been derived from the Greek 'Graphikos' through the illustrative (fine art) purposes, were together titled graphic art'. As the purpose Latin 'Graphicus' to the English 'Graphic' which stands for writing, drawing and attitude of each differs from that of the other, it became a vital necessity to (pictorial or symbolic rather than verbal); plus 'Art' (middle Eng lish and old Eng lish coin a new term to di stinguish between them. To solve this problem , the Print accusative) from the Latin 'Ars' (nomi native), 'Artem ' (accusative), meaning skill Council of America, in 1964, restricted the definition of an original print and applied to a production of beauty or to a work of creative imagination. In general , wadually the term 'printmaking' was generally accepted . t he term 'graphic art' embraces a large number of activities from logogram to book printing, from symbol to artistic prints, from commercial to fine arts. Diagrammatical 1. The artist will create the master irr.~ge in or upon plate, wood, stone or other drawings, signs and symbols either painted or printed are also included under material for the pu rpose of creating the prints. 'Graphic-design', but the term is largely restricted to printing activities, with the use 2. The print will be made from t he said material by the artist or pursuant to his of mechanical, partly mechanical, or manual process for the reproduction of images direction (Recently this w as further restricted - that t he artist will process the or words. Printing is the technique of producing impressions by means of block and that the print w ill also be taken by the artist). transferring inked images onto paper or other matenal by either mechanical or 3. The final print is approved by the artist and duly signed. The artist must mention manual pressure. the edition number and the nature of the edition. Unsigned prints will be considered less val uable than signed impressions. In his book, Book Collecting (London, 1945), P.H. Muir explains the achievement 4. If the prints are made for an edition of more than ten for sale, the artist must and impact of printing on human society : "There are few inventions that have produce one cancelled print by a cross mark on or upon the block to guard more radically affected the outlook and the daily lives of every one of us, and against further editions. almost every invention since owes a great deal to printing." Of all the visual art media being practised all over the world today, graphic art is one of the most The council also made it clear that these restrictions are not necessarily applicable powerful and universal. lt has proved that as a medium it is the most effective to prints made before 1930. because, through the multiplication process, print can reach the maximum number of people com prising various strata of society. The 'Renaissance ' in Europe would Mechanical printing was introduced in India during the middle of the sixteenth not have been successful without the mvention of printing; it was during those century, about a hundred years aher the first printed book appeared elsewhere in times that mechanical printing became a reality and enlarged the scope of the world. We do not hove any evidence of manual or mechanical printing on communication by producing quantities of printed matter. paper that dates prior to 1556 when the Portuguese Jesuit missionaries settled in Goa. The Portuguese Jesuit missionaries of Goa were the first to think of printed books as an effective vehicle for the propagation of Christian ideology. They During the last part of the fiheenth century, graphic art emerged in a new direction imported printing presses and movable types from Lisbon and it w as on September when A lbrect Durer, the most illustrious personality in fiheenth century European 6, 1556, that two wooden presses arrived in Goa by ship. The presses were set up art history, explored the print medium with a different aim and attitude. From this and t he missionaries lost no time in printing their first book that very year : 4 time onwards, when many more artists in Europe took a special interest in Conclusoes e Outras Coisas. 5 Between the middle of the sixteenth century and the end of the eighteenth century, The printmaking trade which was totally dominated by the Europeans until the printing activities had increased in different parts of India, under the aegis of 1820s, slowly changed hands and became a major trade under Indian enterprise. Bhimjee Parekh in Bombay and in Tranqueber (near Madras) under the Danish Indian publishers not only felt the need for printed books in order to reach a wider missionaries. However, dunng this period printing did not flourish as compared to section of the people but they also felt that illustration could help to create more the hectic printing activity initiated by the British in the early nineteenth century. interest in reading. They were also on the look-outfor Indian artists to undertake The reason for this is that until the advent of the British in India, literacy was the il lustrations and in course of time local artists were no longer novices in the confined to Brahmins, Moulavies and the educated elite. With the introduction of field of reproduction. The earl iest example of a signed printed illustration appears the British educational system which covered the middle class as well as the less in a Bengali book, Oonoodha Mongol, written by Bharat Chandra, pu blished by fortunate section of society, printing- activities really flourished. Manuscripts, which Ganga Kishore Bhattacharjee and printed at the press of Ferris and Co., Calcutta, were the traditional means of education, could not cope w ith the increasing in 1816, which has two engraved illustrations bea ring the declaration: 'Engraved demand for mass education. Only mechanical printing could meet this demand. by Ramchand Roy'. Out of six illustrations, Ram chand Roy did two metal plate From this time onwards t he European educational system slowly replaced the engravings for Oonoodha Mongol, while the rest were anonymous and printed in traditional Indian Tou/1 and Madrasa education and the Indian social scene began relief process of wood-cut. The technique of graphic art was introduced in the to change from the beginning of the nineteenth century. teaching programme of art schools from an early stage and special interest was paid to wood engraving, wood-cut and lithography. We are to note, however, that As the Portuguese started mechanical book printing in India, the Britishers started the graphic arts were taught in those schools as a medium of moss-reproduction or printing pictu res and illustrations during the last part of the eighteenth century. re-duplication of a picture rather than as a creative medium . On the other hand, Among the many foreign artists who worked in India and took a special interest in graphic art hod already established itself os a creative medium in Eu rope from the printmaking were Caleb John Garbrant, William Daniell, James Moffat, Henry middle of the fifteenth century and European teachers w ere aware of t hese Hudson, F.B. Solvyns Avon Apjon, Charles D'Oyly, Richard Brittridge and William developments. However, graph ic art foi led to make headway in the newly Ba ilie. Whether printmoking on a large sca le could be possible in India was first organised art schools in India, because priority was given to teaching illustration and explored by William Daniell and Thomas Daniel!. During 1l86 and 1788 the copy work. Apart from the art schools, graphic arts were already in vogue in India Daniells published on album based on William's own drawings, 'Twelve views of as illustrations for printed books, journals and magazines in the vernacular and in Calcutta ', containing twelve original etchings. The album was printed in Calcutta. English from the beginning of the nineteenth century. The illustrations were made All the etch ings were printed in monochrome and stained in colour ink. The out of wood-cuts, wood engraving, metal plate engravings, etchings and example of Daniel! evoked interest among his contemporaries and led them to lithographs. publish their works. These foreign artists published their drawings based on topographic scenes, manners and customs, ethnological antiquities, natural history, From 1870 onwards several private presses flourished in different parts of India. and so on, printed in etching and engraving, and following the intaglio printing From these secular and religious prints flooded the local market and become process. From the evidence available, we may assume that local artists and popular among Indians. From this time onwards these prints set an unprecedented craftsmen learnt the printmaking technique from visiting European artists who example in promoting mass-communication in India.