Mukul Dey

Mukul Chandra Dey (1895–1989) was an eminent Indian painter, printmaker, and art educator, best known as one of the pioneers of etching and drypoint printing in India. A close associate of Rabindranath Tagore and a member of the Bengal School of Art, Dey played a crucial role in introducing Western printmaking techniques into the Indian art scene while remaining deeply rooted in Indian themes and aesthetics. His artistic career bridged the traditional and modern, making him a key figure in early twentieth-century Indian art.

Early Life and Education

Mukul Dey was born on 23 July 1895 in Shibpur, Howrah, near Calcutta (now Kolkata), West Bengal. From an early age, he displayed a strong inclination towards art, particularly drawing and sketching. His formative years coincided with the Bengal Renaissance, a period of artistic, literary, and intellectual revival that profoundly influenced his development as an artist.
He began his artistic education at the Government School of Art, Calcutta, where he came under the guidance of Abanindranath Tagore, the founder of the Bengal School of Art. The Bengal School’s emphasis on reviving indigenous traditions and rejecting academic realism left a lasting impact on Dey’s artistic philosophy.
He was also influenced by Rabindranath Tagore and became closely associated with the Santiniketan circle. His exposure to the Tagorean ideals of harmony between art, nature, and life would shape his artistic direction and humanistic worldview.

Association with the Bengal School of Art

During the early twentieth century, the Bengal School of Art emerged as a cultural response to colonial dominance in art education, advocating for an Indian style inspired by Mughal miniatures, Ajanta murals, and East Asian painting techniques.
Mukul Dey absorbed the Bengal School’s stylistic emphasis on delicate lines, subtle washes, and spiritual expression. However, he also distinguished himself by embracing printmaking, particularly etching, which was still a relatively unknown medium in India at the time.

Training in Printmaking and Artistic Travels

In 1916, with encouragement from Rabindranath Tagore, Mukul Dey travelled to Japan to study printmaking, where he was influenced by Japanese woodcut traditions and their emphasis on simplicity and craftsmanship. Later, he moved to the United States and then to London, where he studied at the Royal College of Art.
At the Royal College, Dey trained under Sir Frank Short, one of the foremost printmakers of the time. Under Short’s tutelage, he mastered etching, drypoint, and aquatint techniques, which he would later introduce to Indian artists.
His sojourn in Europe also exposed him to the works of Rembrandt, Goya, and Whistler, whose mastery of etching left a deep impression on him. During his years abroad, Dey created numerous etchings depicting both European landscapes and Indian subjects, which were exhibited in London and received critical acclaim.

Return to India and Artistic Contributions

After returning to India in the early 1920s, Mukul Dey began to popularise etching and printmaking as artistic mediums. His arrival marked a new phase in Indian art, as he began to combine Western technical precision with Indian subjects and themes.
His etchings often depicted rural Bengal, temple architecture, Indian peasants, monks, and classical musicians, rendered with delicate lines and fine tonal gradations. Dey’s prints are remarkable for their sensitivity and atmosphere, often capturing the stillness and dignity of ordinary Indian life.
Some of his most notable prints include:

• Baul Singer
• Bharat Mata
• Santiniketan Scene
• Bengal Peasant
• The Temple Steps
• Tagore at Santiniketan

These works not only exemplify his technical mastery but also reveal his deep empathy for India’s spiritual and cultural traditions.

Principal of Government School of Art, Calcutta

In 1928, Mukul Dey was appointed as the Principal of the Government School of Art, Calcutta, becoming the first Indian artist to hold this prestigious position. During his tenure (1928–1943), he introduced significant reforms in the curriculum, emphasising Indian art traditions and craft-based learning while maintaining international standards of artistic training.
He encouraged students to explore indigenous materials and subjects, blending the technical rigour of Western art with the ethos of Indian culture. His efforts helped modernise art education in India and nurtured a generation of artists who would later define Indian modernism.
Dey’s tenure as Principal also coincided with India’s nationalist movement, and he viewed art education as a tool for cultural assertion and self-reliance.

Style and Techniques

Mukul Dey’s art is characterised by a fusion of Indian spirituality and Western technique. His etchings and drypoints display fine linear control, tonal subtlety, and a poetic sensibility. Thematically, his work reflects both Bengal’s rural simplicity and India’s ancient cultural heritage.
Key characteristics of his style include:

• Line and Texture: His control over etching lines created atmospheric effects and depth reminiscent of Rembrandt.
• Humanism: His subjects, often villagers or ascetics, are treated with empathy and dignity.
• Indian Iconography: He frequently portrayed scenes of temples, ghats, and musicians, symbolising India’s living traditions.
• Technical Experimentation: He experimented with drypoint, aquatint, and chiaroscuro, achieving subtle tonal contrasts.

While his early work was heavily influenced by the Bengal School’s lyricism, his later etchings display a greater naturalism and attention to light and structure.

Publications and Writings

Mukul Dey was also an active writer and chronicler of Indian art. He contributed essays and articles to journals and published books on art education and printmaking. His most important written works include:

• My Pilgrimages to Ajanta and Bagh (1925) – documenting his study of the ancient cave paintings and their influence on modern Indian art.
• Art and I (1939) – an autobiographical reflection on his artistic journey.
• Etching in India (1940) – among the earliest books on the subject, introducing Indian artists to the technical and aesthetic aspects of printmaking.

He was also the founder and editor of Mukul Dey Archives, which preserved rare documents, photographs, and prints related to early Indian modern art.

Awards and Recognition

Mukul Dey’s contributions to Indian art were widely recognised in his lifetime. He held several solo exhibitions in India, Japan, and Europe, and his works are housed in major collections such as:

• The British Museum, London
• The Victoria and Albert Museum, London
• The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi
• The Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi