Benode Behari Mukherjee (1904-1980) was a painter, muralist, scholar and teacher whose lifetime of work has been crucial to the development of Kala Bhavan, the art school at Santiniketan, that was founded by Rabindranath Tagore in 1919. As a young boy he lost vision in one eye and was myopic in the other, which kept him from pursuing a normal school education, and instead joined Rabindranath Tagore’s newly established Visva-Bharati at the age of thirteen. Here under the influence of greats like Tagore and Nandalal Bose he took up painting and moved to the arts school Kala Bhavan. After completing his studies at Kala Bhavan, he soon started teaching at the school and became one of the most important faculty members who shaped the institution in the 20th century. He travelled to Japan in 1937 which had a profound impact on his art, bringing more synergy between his drawings, sketches, murals and scrolls.
He started by assisting his teacher Nandalal with murals around Kala Bhavan, and went on to making some of the most iconic murals of Indian art. This includes the Bhirbum Village, on the dormitory ceiling (c.1940), Life on the Campus (1942), and Life of Medieval Saints (1946).
In 1949 Benode Behari left Santiniketan for Kathmandu, Nepal, to take on the role of the Curator at the Nepal Government Museum. Inspired by the landscape and people of Nepal he created a vast number of sketches and watercolour paintings that are defined by their simple lines and lightness of spirit. In 1952 he moved to Mussoorie where he continued painting the beautiful mountain landscapes of the region, but soon left for Patna on an assignment to revamp an art school. In 1957 he lost his eyesight completely after an unsuccessful cataract surgery.
He didn't let this loss get in the way of his creative expression however, continuing to redirect his practice into making smaller drawings and sculptural works, paper cuts and prints. He soon returned to Santiniketan to teach art history at Kala Bhavan, where he was made Professor Emeritus in 1970 and also elected a Fellow of Lalit Kala Akademi. In 1973 he left Santiniketan for Dehradun, and in 1976 the whole family moved to Delhi.
The loss of his eyesight also pushed him to try his hand at writing, with a collection of his writings titled Chitrakar being published in 1979. This publication enchanted the literary world and won him the Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad in 1980 and the Rabindra Purasakar in 1981.
Until the 1970s Benode Behari's practice was known to a select group of artists and friends, but with the making of Inner Eye by the renowned filmmaker Satyajit Ray in 1972, his life and work became recognized nation-wide. In 1974 the Government of India recognized Benode Behari's extensive contribution to the arts in India by honouring him with Padma Vibhushan. Soon after this he was conferred the honourary doctoral degree of Desikottama by Visva-Bharati in 1977.
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Selected Artworks
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BIOGRAPHY*
1904 1917 1919 1920 1921 1923 1924 1925 1929 1934 1936 1937 1938 1944 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1957 1958 1959 1960 1965 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1976 1977 1979 1980 1981 2006-2007 Born in Behala, near Calcutta (now Kolkata) Enrols as a student at the school in Santiniketan Joins as one of the first students at Kala Bhavan as soon as it opens this year Paints his first mural on his hostel room walls He continues to make murals on the hostel walls with his contemporaries Assists Nandalal Bose in the making of his murals in the old library building Paints murals in 16 niches of the Santhoshalaya building, depicting Santhal life Joins Santiniketan as a teacher after completing his studies. Goes on to being in charge of the library and museum at Kala Bhavan Becomes a full-fledged teacher at Kala Bhavan Exhibits his works in the Kala Bhavan group show at the Congress House, Madras, October 26-31. Visits Japan, and exhibits at Horeganji temple, Tsukiji, Tokyo, organised by Nippon Cultural Federation, Nippon Bunka Renmeii, April 26-28. Assists Nandalal Bose in Haripura Congress pavilion Exhibits at group show of Kala Bhavan, organized by the Santiniketan Ashramik Sangha. Marries Leela Mansukhani Exhibits with Ramkinkar at the YMCA, New Delhi, October 18-21. Exhibits his landscapes and flower studies in Calcutta, organised by Ashramik Sangha,March. Begins work on the Hindi Bhavan mural Completes Hindi Bhavan mural Visits Najibabad in summer Visits Bombay, meets artists Ara, Hebbar and Bendre of The Progressive Artists’ Group. Visits Ahemdabad, Baroda and Jaipur Exhibits at the Savoy Hotel in Mussourie, June 22-25. Leaves Santiniketan for Nepal to join as curator at the Nepal Government Museum in Kathmandu, October. Riten Mazumdar, K.V.Varma and Leela Mukherjee visit him in Kathmandu Daughter, Mrinalini was born Paints murals at Banasthali in Rajasthan Leaves Nepal before the revolt in Nepal for Patna Exhibits works produced in Nepal in Patna, along with works by Leela Mukherjee and Riten Mazhumdar, at the Hindi Sahitya Sammelan Bhavan. The exhibition travels to Saniniketan and Calcutta. In Santiniketan the works of Ramkinkar made in Nepal during a visit is also exhibited alongside his. Travels to Saniniketan en route to Banaras and Banasthali, exploring the possibility of setting up an art and craft centre in one of the two places.Settles in Mussoorie, in October Establishes Art and Craft Centre in Mussoorie Possibly visited Ahmedabad Exhibits his works at Jehangir Art Gallery, Bombay, organised by Bombay branch of Saniniketan Asramik Sangha, December 14-20. Catalogue essay by Stella Kramrisch Invites to reorganise the Patna Art School, and moves to Patna in the summer. Meets S. Mujtaba Ali in Patna Moves to Dehradun and then Banasthali Returns to Santiniketan to teach art history at Kala Bhavan First retrospective exhibition at the Indian Museum, Calcutta, organised by the Saniniktean Ashramik Sangha and the Academy of Fine Arts, February 10-18. Exhibits his works at Kala Bhavan, organised by the Visva-Bharti Chhatra Sammilani, August 29-September 4. Monograph of his works by Prithwish Neogy published by Lalit Kala Akademi. Assumes position of Principal of Kala Bhavan Appointed Professor Holds his second retrospective in Delhi Retires from Kala Bhavan and is made Professor Emeritus at Visva-Bharati and elected Fellow of the Lalit Kala Akademi Sathyajit Ray makes the film Inner Eye on Benode Behari Mukherjee Completes the tile mural Moves to Delhi Conferred the Deshikottama (D.Litt) by Visva-Bharati Exhibition of works at Academy of Fine Arts, Calcutta Post-blindness works shown at Art Heritage, Delhi His book Chitrakar is published Chitrakar receives the Bharatiya Bhasaha Parishad award. Benode Behari Mukherjee dies in Delhi after suffering a fall. Memorial Exhibition held at Nandan, Kala Bhavan, December 2-7. Posthumously receives the Rabindra Puraskar award for Chitrakar Benode Behari Mukherjee’s Centenary Retrospective is held at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) in New Delhi, curated by Gulammohammed Sheikh and R. Siva Kumar 2023Scenes from Santikinetan & Benodebehari Handscrolls, curated by Prof. R Sivakumar, Presented by Kolkata Centre for Creativity and Gallery Rasa, at SSVAD
*The biography is an extract from the Time-Line published in “Benodebehari Mukherjee – A Centenary Retrospective Exhibition”, published by NGMA AND Vadehra Art Gallery, 2007
