241-yr-old Asiatic Society unveils list of 78 oil paintings since 15th century
Times of India | 2 July 2025
Kolkata: Marking a milestone in its nearly two-and-a-half-century-long legacy, the Asiatic Society on Tuesday unveiled its first-ever illustrated catalogue of oil paintings from its collection. The catalogue, compiled by Isha Mahammad and Somnath Mukherjee, was released by Bengal's governor CV Ananda Bose at Raj Bhawan's throne room.
"This is the first attempt to publish a comprehensive catalogue of paintings. We cannot always exhibit them, but this publication offers the public a glimpse into their splendour. It also serves as a tribute to former Society president and noted painter Isha Mahammad," said Lt Colonel Anant Sinha, administrator of the Asiatic Society.
The catalogue features 78 oil paintings that chronicle the evolution of Indian art from the colonial period onwards. With the decline of indigenous artistic traditions in the early 19th century, many Indian artists began adopting Western techniques under British patronage — especially through commissions by the East India Company. These early hybrid efforts laid the foundation for a new artistic idiom, evident in the collection's varied styles.
The Society's archives also include at least 50 paintings by Abanindranath Tagore, Suhashini Devi, Ramkinkar Baij, Nandalal Bose, and Jamini Roy. The collection is further enriched by European works, including those by artists like William Hodges, Thomas and William Daniell, John Zoffany, and Tilly Kettle, who worked in Calcutta during the late 18th century. Robert Home, who once headed the Asiatic Library, also contributed to the visual documentation of the period. According to art historians, this catalogue also offers a lens into broader cultural exchanges between the East and the West.