A good teacher is a blessing in human form. Most of us hold the memory of their influence in our formative years very close to our hearts The excitement and turmoils of life as a student may have blinded us to their contribution back then with assignments and examinations taking up our wakeful hours but the years into adulthood that followed taught us all the worth of their guidance.
As we recently honoured our teachers on the occasion of the birth anniversary of India’s most favourite teacher, former President Dr S Radhakrishnan, here’s a look at teachers who shone a light on the unconventional path of art for their students in a myriad ways.
The pioneer teacher
There could hardly be a visitor to the Marina Beach who would have missed the Triumph of Labour statue of four men toiling, which brilliantly proclaims what its title aptly suggests. Devi Prasad Roy Chowdhary was not just the creator of such monumental sculptures that defined moments in history, the commemoration of the first Labour Day celebrations at the exact site being the case here, but was also the first Indian to be made the Principal of a British government-run institution.
It has been said that life is a full circle. Roy Chowdhary was guided by Abanindranath Tagore, one of the most renowned artists during the period of India’s struggle for independence, who also gave him his first lessons in painting. He also trained as a sculptor under Hiranmoy Roy Chowdhary. Despite the motivation these bonds offered, his family did not approve of his foray into art.
His zamindar grandfather who headed the family even disinherited him, thus forcing him to take up a job as a painter of backdrops in a theatre. Perseverance and dedication pay and over time, in 1929, he was entrusted with the task of running the Madras School of Art as its first Indian Principal.
He spent the next 30 years of his life inspiring his students to open their minds to unconventional ways of thinking and soon, the college that was until then known as an industrial centre underwent an enormous change of image. The great teacher lives on today not only through his works but also in the soul of the works of his students.
The reluctant teacher
While most of us learn from the radiant enthusiasm of our eager teachers, there is also the instance of acquiring knowledge from someone unwilling to part with it. Raja Ravi Varma, considered the Father of Indian art, was the persisting student and Theodore Jensen, the Danish artist was the reluctant teacher. In 1868, the Maharaja of Travancore invited Jensen to embark on a voyage to India to paint a series of portraits, which the latter accepted readily to improve his otherwise modest career.
There was considerable excitement in the court well before his arrival as Western art was an uncharted territory for Indian artists of the time. For Ravi Varma, who was patronised by the Maharaja, it was an opportunity of a lifetime to learn new techniques and his joy burst forth. When Jensen finally set foot on the land, Ravi Varma requested him to take him on as his student, which was flatly refused on multiple occasions. In his earnestness to make him change his mind, Ravi Varma brought a few of his paintings to convince Jensen of his genuine desire to learn.
It however had the opposite effect as Jensen quickly recognised the boy’s skill in the art of portraiture and saw in him a threat to his existence as a commissioned artist. Ravi Varma was not one to give up so easily and brought this refusal up with the Maharaja who ordered Jensen to comply. Ultimately Jensen agreed to allow the boy to watch while he painted the royal portrait.
Sitting in a corner as Jensen worked on a canvas, Ravi Varma observed every detail whilst making his own version of the portrait of the Maharaja with his queen. A month later, when Jensen handed over the portrait to the king Ravi Varma surprised the Maharaja by presenting his creation too. The rich vibrancy in his painting earned him the displeasure of the Danish artist. The reluctant teacher’s lessons were not wasted nevertheless!
The teacher who started a movement
Teachers often guide you to find yourself. But what if the teacher himself became a torch bearer for an entire generation to break away and find themselves? That is exactly what KCS Paniker, the founder of the Madras Art Movement did. Paniker who served as the Principal of the Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai from 1957 -66, was a teacher much loved and revered in the institution he headed.
In the early sixties, Paniker encouraged his students to think of discovering new languages rather than adhere to the prescribed Western models of modernity. He encouraged them to delve into their regional artistic sensibilities. In 1966, he founded the Cholamandal Artists’ Village on the outskirts of Chennai, the first self-sustaining space for artists to come up in India.
It was an attempt to break away from the dependence on commercial galleries and he was supported and joined by his students in this movement. Though today, the artists village may not be as it was earlier envisioned to be, it still remains an important site for any artistic discourse in South India, all thanks to the teacher who dared to rebel!
Art history has witnessed the greatness of invaluable teachers who not only shared their wisdom to the students of their time, but also continue to profoundly impact the thoughts of every generation.
Let us be grateful for their immense role in shaping our culture, for it has been said that a good education can change anyone but a good teacher can change everything!
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