>Rajasekhar1961 at 08:08, 11 May 2021

2021-05-11T08:08:21Z

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{{short description|Indian painter of Bengal school (1890-1964)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2018}}
[[File:Dhruva by Asit Kumar Haldar.jpg|thumb|[[Dhruva]], Painting, published in ''[[Myths of the Hindus & Buddhists]]'' (1914).]]

'''Asit Kumar Haldar''' (10 September 1890 – 13 February 1964) was an [[India]]n [[Painting|painter]] of [[Bengal school]] and an assistant of [[Rabindranath Tagore]] at [[Shantiniketan]]. He was one of the major artists of the [[Bengal renaissance]].

==Early life==
Haldar was born in [[Jorasanko]] in 1890. His maternal grandmother was the sister of [[Rabindranath Tagore]], making him Tagore's grandnephew.<ref>Civarāman, Maitili.<u>Fragments of a Life: A Family Archive</u>. Zubaan, 2006. {{ISBN|81-89013-11-4}}</ref> Both his grandfather Rakhaldas Haldar and his father Sukumar Haldar were accomplished in the art of [[painting]].<ref name="sanat">[http://www.sanat.in/artist/teacher.php Teacher of the Artist] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070422011802/http://www.sanat.in/artist/teacher.php |date=22 April 2007 }} - Sanat Art Gallery</ref> He began his studies at the age of 14. His education was undertaken at Government School of Art, [[Calcutta]] and began in 1904. Haldar learned sculpting from two famous [[Bengali people|Bengali artists]] in 1905: Jadu Pal and Bakkeswar Pal, and he also learned from Leonard Jennings.

==Career==
From 1909 to 1911 he was in the [[Ajanta Caves|Ajanta]] documenting the paintings on the [[frescoes]]. He did this on an expedition with [[Christiana Herringham|Lady Herringham]], and in conjunction with two other [[Bengali people|Bengali]] painters, the object of which was to bring cave art to a wider Indian audience.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mag/2002/08/04/stories/2002080400430200.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030624063356/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mag/2002/08/04/stories/2002080400430200.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=24 June 2003 | title=Ajanta: An artist's perspective | newspaper=[[The Hindu]] | date=4 August 2002}}</ref> In 1921, he undertook another expedition, this time to the [[Bagh Caves]] and his reflections on the art there indicate quite a few [[surrealism|surrealistic]] depictions<ref>[https://www.jstor.org/stable/861911 The Buddhist Caves of Bagh] - ''The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs'', Vol. 43, No. 247. (Oct., 1923)</ref>

From 1911 to 1915 he was an art teacher at [[Shantiniketan]].<ref name="vb">[http://www.visva-bharati.ac.in/GreatMasters/Contents/Ashithalder.htm Asitkumar Haldar (1890-1964)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304043913/http://www.visva-bharati.ac.in/GreatMasters/Contents/Ashithalder.htm |date=4 March 2016 }} - Visva Bharati Institute</ref> He was also the principal of the ''[[Kala Bhavan]]'' school from 1911 to 1923, assisting Tagore with cultural and artistic activities. During this time, he introduced many different styles to art to the students, and revolutionized decorative and ceremonial displays there.<ref name="bd">{{cite book |last=Chowdhury |first=Sima Roy |year=2012 |chapter=Haldar, Asit Kumar |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Haldar,_Asit_Kumar |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]]}}</ref>

In 1923, he went on a study tour through England, France and Germany. On his return, he became Principal of the [[Maharaja’s School of Arts and Crafts, Jaipur]] where he remained for a year, before moving to the Maharaja’s School of Arts and Crafts in Lucknow.<ref>[http://www.gktoday.in/asit-kumar-haldar/ Haldar Profile]</ref>

==Work==

===Art===
[[File:Stamp of India - 1991 - Colnect 164218 - Sidhatrtha with an Injured Bird - by Haldar.jpeg|thumb|Stamp of India - 1991 - Colnect 164218 - Sidhatrtha with an Injured Bird - by Haldar]]
Haldar made a tour of [[Europe]] in 1923 and soon realized that [[Realism (arts)|Realism]] in [[Europe]]an [[art]] had numerous limitations. He sought to balance physical attributes in proportion to the magnitude of the subject matter. Haldar's ''Yashoda and Krisna'' was not just a religious painting but an artistic juxtaposition of the infinite (represented by [[Krishna]] with the [[Wikt:finite|finite]] (represented by [[Yashoda]]). Haldar also made thirty two paintings on the Buddha's life and thirty paintings on Indian history, attempting to embrace [[idealism]] in his [[art]].<ref name="bd" /> His [[Media (arts)|media]] included: [[lacquer]], [[tempera]], [[oil]], [[watercolor]]s, and even ranged to some [[photography]]<ref name="kc">Chaitanya, Krishna. <u>History of Indian Painting: The Modern Period</u>. Abhinav Publications, 1994. {{ISBN|81-7017-310-8}}</ref>

His masterpieces include:
*''Krsna and Yashoda''
*''Awakening of Mother India''
*''Rai-Raja Lotus''
*''Kunala and Ashoka''
*''Raslila''
*''The Flame of Music''
*''Pronam''

===Poetry===
Haldar was a budding poet throughout his life. He translated [[Kalidasa]]'s ''Meghadoota'' ("Cloud messenger") and ''Ritusamhara'' (Cycle of the seasons) into [[Bengali language|Bengali]] from [[Sanskrit]]. He also illustrated numerous poems in [[visual art]], including twelve from [[Omar Khayyam]]. His art on the [[Gautama Buddha|Buddha]] and the [[History of India]] fell under this [[poetic]] umbrella.<ref name="kc" /> He is also the author of various books in Bengali, viz. Ajanta (A travelogue to the Caves of Ajanta), Ho-der Galpo (The life and culture of the Ho tribe), Bagh Guha and Ramgarh (Another travelogue to the Bagh Cave and Ramgarh in Central India, etc. A newly annotated edition of ''Ajanta'' has recently been published by Lalmati, Kolkata, with annotations, additions and photographs by Prasenjit Dasgupta and Soumen Paul. A newly annotated edition of ''Bagguha and Ramgarh'' written by Asit Kumar Halder has been published by New Age Publishers, Kolkata, with annotations, additions and photographs by Prasenjit Dasgupta and Soumen Paul.

==Tributes==
Haldar was the first Indian to be appointed as the principal of a Government Art School. He was also the first Indian to be elected a Fellow of the [[Royal Society of Arts]], [[London]] in 1934. The [[Allahabad Museum]] opened a large "Haldar Hall" with many of his works in 1938.<ref name="bd" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}
{{Tagore family}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Haldar, Asit}}
[[Category:1890 births]]
[[Category:1964 deaths]]
[[Category:Bengali Hindus]]
[[Category:Bengali male artists]]
[[Category:Tagore family]]
[[Category:Vangiya Sahitya Parishad]]
[[Category:Government College of Art & Craft alumni]]
[[Category:University of Calcutta alumni]]
[[Category:Artists from Kolkata]]
[[Category:Visva-Bharati University faculty]]
[[Category:Indian art educators]]
[[Category:Bengali educators]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian painters]]
[[Category:Indian male painters]]
[[Category:Educators from West Bengal]]

Asit Kumar Haldar - Revision history

>Rajasekhar1961 at 08:08, 11 May 2021