’Art & Soul of The Tribune

We, in Chandigarh, claimed Prof BN Goswamy as our own, cheering him and basking in his achievements as he travelled and lectured around the world. We knew he would be back home, and we could interact with him, listen to his lectures, and call upon him to inaugurate and speak at exhibitions and other events.

Sometimes, we do not recognise the greatness of people near us, as William Dalrymple reminded us in his eulogy while highlighting Prof Goswamy’s stellar contribution to scholars, scholarship and the arts.

• Also read: Master of arts
• In memory of our dear friend
• A selection of his columns, including his last column

Prof Goswamy had written about art exhibitions and other events for The Tribune long before I joined the paper. In 1995, the then Editor-in-Chief, Hari Jaisingh, invited him to write a column, and with it started the regular engagement between him and the readers of The Tribune. Through ’Art & Soul, readers went on journeys into the world of art, sculpture and music, a treat that was informative and a feast for the eyes since Prof Goswamy always sent us visuals with his pieces, along with explanatory captions.

I met him for the first time in 1992 for information about the storied historian, Prof Hari Ram Gupta, whose obituary I was writing. I got valuable insights about Prof Goswamy’s PhD guide. You see, since there was no art historian to supervise his work, Prof Gupta had agreed to do so only after getting three top scholars, including the eminent British art critic WG Archer, to endorse the synopsis.

Over many years, we handled his and Prof Karuna Goswamy’s columns, and our relationship became more intimate. They carried their knowledge lightly, and their manner was gentle and kind, and we did not hesitate to seek information when we needed it. We also heard about the family providing material help to people in need, but they never spoke about it.

In 2000, The Tribune tapped Prof Goswamy’s expertise for a redesign. He streamlined the main masthead and ensured it stayed true to its essence. Sunday Reading became Spectrum with a new logo and look, and Saturday Plus became Windows, with a beautiful jharokha incorporated in the masthead.

Besides his column, Prof Goswamy wrote for the paper on many occasions. His contributions were not limited to his writings. His interactions with the Trustees and editorial staff triggered many actions.

Karuna was a scholar who dedicated her life to her family and students. The Amritsar-born art historian published several books. She created contemporary Indian crosswords for The Tribune at the invitation of the then Editor-in-Chief, Prem Bhatia, something that she continued until she passed away in 2020.

The pillar in Prof Goswamy’s life was no longer there to support him. However, his son, Apoorva, and daughter, Malvika, were there for him.

When he finally agreed to a book of his columns, ‘Conversations’ was published by Penguin in 2022.

Prof Goswamy’s relationship with The Tribune transcended that of a newspaper and its contributor. In 2003, when he celebrated his 70th birthday, we published a piece on him, ‘Rejecting babudom for the love of art’, recounting how he resigned from the IAS and worked on a doctorate under Prof Hari Ram Gupta on a Rs 300 per month scholarship. AL Basham of ‘The Wonder That Was India’ fame and WG Archer examined his thesis on the social background of Kangra valley paintings.

In their later years, the Goswamys celebrated important occasions with classical dance or music performances, which exposed many of us to a range of top-class artistes like Madhavi Mudgal (Odissi), Aditi Mangaldas (Kathak) and Malavika Sarukkai (Bharatnatyam), with whom Prof Goswamy had a longstanding collaboration. They performed together at events where he would talk about art and they would dance, creating a multi-sensory experience.

When his health deteriorated, even while in intensive care, Prof Goswamy insisted on dictating his column. Such was the bond between India’s pre-eminent art critic, The Tribune and the readers of ’Art & Soul.

— The writer is a senior journalist