Kolkata: The whitewashing of a century old ‘fresco' at the main staircase of the Government College of Art and Craft has led to a social media furore, with former students and artists accusing the college authorities of destroying the work. Known as the Jaipur Fresco, it is believed to have been created in the late 19th century when E B Havell was the college principal. Artists from Rajasthan created the murals inspired by Jaipur-style wall painting, said ex-students.
Principal Chhatrapati Dutta, however, has refuted the claim on social media, saying there is no clear evidence of exactly which year it was created. "Though there is no clear evidence of exactly which year it was created, being a painted mural & not a true fresco, it was restored many times, the last of which did happen in between the years of 2007 & 2009. Being a repeated design pattern, and not an original artist's art work but a reproduction done many times over, there is no harm in redoing this much remembered design over again," Dutta wrote.
Artist and former student Mrityonjoy Chatterjee said: "I have been seeing this mural since 1963. It has a historical value and has been a symbol of the college for generations of students. It was partially damaged but could have easily been restored. There had been an attempt to restore it some years ago but it couldn't be worked out. The principal could have sought the advice of experts like Jogen Chowdhury and Ganesh Halui to restore it."
The alumni association has made a social media post lambasting the college's move.
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