Close X
Sunday, November 10, 2024
ADVT 
India

Historian B N Goswamy passes away

Darpan News Desk IANS, 17 Nov, 2023 02:36 PM
  • Historian B N Goswamy passes away

Chandigarh, Nov 17 (IANS) Known for his path-breaking work on Pahari paintings, internationally-acclaimed art historian and an authority on miniature painting, Chandigarh-based Brijinder Nath Goswamy, passed away on Friday following prolonged ill health.

Recipient of the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awards, 90-year-old Goswamy, fondly called BNG in art circles had authored more than 26 books.

A former civil servant who quit the services in 1958 to dedicate himself to academics and research, Goswamy took immense interest in the social background of painters from Kangra and spent a considerable time in far-flung villages of Himachal Pradesh to get a better understanding of the artists who created Pahari paintings.

Learning the Takri Pahari script, he began focusing on family styles, looking in detail for the technique, narratives, and composition.

“All my life I have striven to bring the painter out of obscurity. I want him in the front row. He must be under the spotlight. But how does one do that? Isn't art anonymous?

“Sadly, there is no proper documentation, the artist just appears like a firefly in the dark. We must peep into the mind of the artist, identify his processes, develop respect, and decipher.

“Then, we get to know about the sociological and cultural facts of that era. You see, an art historian needs to be a compound of a camel, hawk, ant, and peacock. He must have the memory of a camel, the eye of a hawk, be industrious as an ant, and learn to enjoy art like a peacock. After all, it's not botany, right?” he had said.

His ‘Wonder of the Age, Master Painters of India, 1100-1900’, an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York showcased a new dimension of Indian art to the world.

For someone who taught himself the Pahari script in order to get a rounded view of the work he was doing, he always felt that it was paramount for a teacher and researcher to go into the field, read, study, interact with people, learn new languages, and understand one’s roots.

Always stressing on the need for archiving and preserving, His last lecture was held in Chandigarh on October 26 on his latest book, 'The India Cat: Stories, Paintings, Poetry and Proverbs.'

Delving into the stories fables from Panchtantra, Jatakas, Katha Sarita Sagar, he created a picture of how cats were viewed in India and how they found an important place in Indian art.

MORE India ARTICLES

Punjab police busts terror module run by international terrorists Rinda and Brar

Punjab police busts terror module run by international terrorists Rinda and Brar
The arrested accused have been identified as Gurinder Singh, Gurpinder Singh, Lovepreet Singh, Narinder Singh and Sukhmanpreet Singh. Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav said that the accused were planning to disrupt peace and harmony in the state through target killings in Punjab. This module was being operated by US based gangster Harpreet Happy on behalf of Rinda and Brar.

Punjab police busts terror module run by international terrorists Rinda and Brar

Air India Kathmandu-Delhi flight faces technical glitches

Air India Kathmandu-Delhi flight faces technical glitches
The Air India-216 was all set to depart from Kathmandu airport at 4:10 am. The plane was stuck at the airport due to the wheel locked. After facing technical glitches, the plane was pulled off the runway by the tractors and parked in the parking lot.

Air India Kathmandu-Delhi flight faces technical glitches

Jairam, Chidambaram condole death of Sulabh founder Bindeshwar Pathak

Jairam, Chidambaram condole death of Sulabh founder Bindeshwar Pathak
Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and P Chidambaram on Tuesday condoled the death of Sulabh founder Bindeshwar Pathak while recalling his tireless crusade for improved sanitation. Congress general secretary Ramesh in a tweet said, "For many years, Bindeshwar Pathak, who passed away earlier today, was a tireless crusader for improved sanitation."

Jairam, Chidambaram condole death of Sulabh founder Bindeshwar Pathak

600 Pradhans of border villages invited as ‘special guests’ to witness I-Day celebration in Delhi

600 Pradhans of border villages invited as ‘special guests’ to witness I-Day celebration in Delhi
PM Modi, during his address from Red Fort: "Earlier, border villages were considered as the last villages fo the country but that perception has changed. These villages are now considered not the last villages but the first villages at the border."

600 Pradhans of border villages invited as ‘special guests’ to witness I-Day celebration in Delhi

5 killed, four injured in Mathura wall collapse

5 killed, four injured in Mathura wall collapse
At least five persons have reportedly been killed after a portion of a house adjacent to the Bankey Bihari temple in Mathura collapsed on Tuesday evening. Four others who sustained injuries in the wall collapse have been admitted to a hospital, District Magistrate Pulkit Khare said.

5 killed, four injured in Mathura wall collapse

Congress calls PM Modi's I-Day address 'election speech filled with distortions'

Congress calls PM Modi's I-Day address 'election speech filled with distortions'
"Instead of bringing the country together, to celebrate our journey so far, acknowledge the pain and anguish of those suffering, and accept the challenges ahead, he made it all about himself and his image," Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications, Jairam Ramesh, said in statement.

Congress calls PM Modi's I-Day address 'election speech filled with distortions'