Nandalal Bose (1882-1966)

Born in Kharagpur in 1882, Nandalal spent his early life in the Kharagpur and Darbhanga area where he learnt to love nature and the simple ways of country life. He would spend hours watching the local artisans in their craft of making toys out of clay and he would also try his hand at it. At the age of sixteen, he left for Calcutta, where after a few years of unsuccessful attempts at academic studies in various colleges, he decided to study fine arts under Abanindranath Tagore at the Government Art School.

In 1909, he accompanied Lady Herringham to the Ajanta Caves to copy the mural paintings. In 1915, when the Vicitra Club was started at Jorasanko, Nandalal joined as an art teacher. During this period he often visited the Brahmacaryasrama at Santiniketan. His first visit in 1914 was a spiritual experience which left a lasting impress on his personality and his career as an artist. In 1923, Nandalal, with permission from his guru, settled in Santiniketan taking charge of Kala Bhavana, the faculty of Fine Arts.

In 1924, he accompanied Rabindranath on the Poet's visit to China, Japan and Burma. In 1934, he went to Ceylon with Rabindranath and was able to get acquainted with the arts and crafts of the island. At the invitation of Mahatma Gandhi, he took charge of Art exhibitions and decoration at the yearly sessions of the Indian National congress at Lucknow, Faizpur and Haripura.