Page 127 - Art and Crafts of Bangladesh

124 ART AND CRAFTS

power and superiority. These naturalistic artworks by the Europeans were faultless.
This colonial style became popular among the kings, landlords, merchants and even
the common people of India.
This colonial style was academic and it stressed the exact technical know-how of
representing naturalistic forms. The full figure marble sculpture of Lord Cornwallis by
Jone Baker imported in 1803 is the first and an important one. Among other notable
portraits is the one of Queen Victoria seated on the royal throne by George Fremton
placed on the open space in front of the Victoria Memorial (fig. 2.36). This huge bronze
portrait is an excellent example of the academic style and is very detailed in the
naturalistic manner. The Queen herself sat for the portrait and voiced her approval of
it. The bronze equestrian sculpture of the British general Sir Outram was executed by
Falley and is very well done with notable dramatic expression. As symbols of the glory
of British rule, colonial cities were decorated by many such large-scale sculptures. 64
Rohinikanta Nag (1868-1895) was the first sculptor who was not from a traditional
potter family and the first Bengali artist educated in Italy. He was born in the village
of Barodee, Maheshwardi pargana of Dhaka district in a Brahma family. He was
educated in the Calcutta Art School during the period of Principal Henry Jobbins. In
1890 he got admitted to the Royal Academy of Rome inspired by Olinto Ghilardi. 65
His success in Italy received much publicity in the Bengali press. However, he
contracted tuberculosis in Italy and died in 1895 in Kolkata. Not one of his sculptures
found their way back to his homeland. Rabindranath Tagore attempted to have these
transported back to the country but it was not possible. There was news published in
66
Roman newspapers of Rohinikanta Nag receiving a silver medal for his modeling of
the human figure. 67
fig. 2.36 George Shitalchandra Bandopadhaya was born in Kirtipasha of Barishal (1879-?). He was a
Fremton, Queen doctor by profession and self-taught in sculpture and painting. Shashikumar Hesh was
Victoria, Victoria amazed by his sculpture modeled in wax and advised him to go to Italy. He could not
Memorial, Kolkata go aboard due to the resistance of his family. Dr. Dineshchandra Sen was his patron
and he organized a tea party at Gaganendranath Tagore’s
residence to show the best example of Shitalchandra’s
sculpture, one of the goddess Lakshmi in marble to
Jagadis Chandra Bose, Rabindranath Tagore, Sister
Nivedita and others. All of them including Abanindranath
praised the sculpture. Shitalchandra possibly died in the
sixties of the twentieth century at the age of eighty. 68
Aswinikumar Burman (Ray) (1882-?) was born in
Noapara of Mymensingh. He travelled to Europe in 1909,
lived in Bradford of England and practiced sculpture in
the studio of William Charles. Sir William Rothenstein,
the Principal of the Royal College of Art of London was
his friend and admirer. While in England he regularly