‘Prof BN Goswamy was the soul of the Chandigarh’
Mona
His life was gentle; and the elements
So mixed in him, that Nature might stand up
And say to all the world, THIS WAS A MAN!
…wrote William Shakespeare about Julius Caesar. These are the words that were incanted to describe Prof BN Goswamy, who bid adieu to this world on Friday, time and again through the day. He was 90. A much-loved and revered figure in Chandigarh, art historian Prof Goswamy’s acclaim is spread the world over. His loss, mourned like no other. As the shock of his passing away registered, who’s who of the city headed to the cremation ground in Sector 25 to pay their last respects.
Born Brijinder Nath Goswamy, in Sargodha, Punjab Province under the British India, he started his professional career with Indian Administrative Service that he left to pursue his passion for arts. He authored about 26 books on the subjects of Pahari, miniature paintings, court painters and masters of Indian paintings among others. How he traced and reconstructed detailed genealogies of several families of Pahari artists with a great deal of accuracy gathering information from Haridwar and Pehowa to Kashmir and Varanasi — wherever people from Kangra went to perform the last rites of their family members — is a feat people talk about.
Fondly called BNG in art circles, he also set up the Department of Fine Arts in Panjab University. Recipient of Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship, Sarabhai Fellowship and Mellon Senior Fellow of the National Humanities Center, North Carolina; Prof Goswamy was a recipient of Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan.
Calling him a ‘national treasure’, theatre thespian Neelam Mansingh Chowdhry, shares, “I just feel privileged to live in the same city, same century to meet a man like him, to have him as a teacher one dreams about.” She recalls how she first met him through his wife Karuna Goswamy, and showed him some paintings she drew, “Pretty bad they were, and how he saw them so carefully, with such delicacy and dignity as if they were a piece of art.” Neelam Mansingh later joined the Department of Fine Art as a student. “His classes were magical. He taught us to look at a piece of art, to see the colour, composition and how to think in abstract manner. One learnt new terms every day.”
When Neelam Mansingh came to Chandigarh post her Delhi, Mumbai, Bhopal sojourn to call it her home, Karuna and Prof Goswamy took her under their wings. “He treated everyone with such respect and made them feel important. In the world of art, he was the force of nature. He was a rock star.”
Artist Diwan Manna, president, Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi, calls this a personal loss. “To me he was the soul of city. He brought grace, dignity, elegance, eloquence to whosoever he touched. He was a man of high intellect who exuded grace. He was dignity moving around in shape of human being. He brought Indian art to the forefront single-handedly. He focused on Indian art that drifted towards the Western influence and managed to put a break to it. He showed the Indian way of consuming, producing art, our cultural legacy, our own stories, lived experiences, cultural moorings. His going is a huge personal loss.”
“The passing away of Dr BN Goswamy is a colossal loss the world of Indian art,” said painter and art historian Vijay Sharma. “He was a scholar class apart equal to the rank of Ananda Coomaraswamy and Rai Krishandas. Although he is known internationally as a scholar of Indian painting, yet his specialization was in Pahari miniature painting. I know him since 1983 when he visited Chamba Museum to participate in a seminar. His scholarly works were path breaking with new approach to appreciate the merits of miniatures. The vacuum created after his passing away cannot be filled.”
“What a terrible loss to the world of art and history. My deepest sympathies to Dr Goswamy’s family. Dr Goswamy’s presence will live on in the tremendous contribution he has made to the world of Indian Art History. His work is a treasure gifted to current and future generations of readers and students. Thank you Dr Goswamy for expanding my mind,” shared author-artist Belinder Dhanoa.
Our easy accessibility to Prof Goswamy, at times, made us forget his global presence. Yashaswini Chandra, lecturer in South Asian Art History at University of Edinburgh, was shocked and dismayed at his demise. “As a student of art history, you know Prof Goswamy even before you actually know him. I had a chance to discuss my work with him about a decade back, and he was so encouraging. His scholarship is so seminal. He is a master of aesthetics concerning Pahari paintings, very much dedicated to its social dimension. He was a pioneer in emphasising the role of artists notwithstanding the social status looking beyond the elite patronage. The outlook he gave to us is important. He was strongly rooted, basing self in Chandigarh and yet ensuring the interest of the world in Indian art. In him, we have lost a giant.”
Expressing profound sorrow, Banwarilal Purohit, Governor of Punjab and the Administrator of UT, Chandigarh extended his deepest condolences on the passing of Dr Goswamy. “The contributions of Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan awardee Dr Goswamy to the understanding and appreciation of art were immense. His dedication and scholarship as an art historian and an art critic were unparalleled, leaving an enduring legacy that will continue to inspire generations to come. The loss of Dr Goswamy is an immeasurable blow to the Indian art and culture. During this time of mourning, I extend my heartfelt sympathies to the family, friends, and admirers of Dr Goswamy. May the Almighty grant solace to his departed soul and bestow strength upon those affected by this irreparable loss. May the memories of Dr Goswamy’s extraordinary life bring comfort to all who mourn his loss, and may his contributions always be remembered and cherished,” said the Governor.
He will be hugely missed
Devastated to hear of the death of my beloved friend and mentor, BN Goswamy, India’s greatest art historian and one of the wisest and most brilliant men I ever met. He was a kind friend, a generous mentor, a rigorous scholar, a fabulous writer and an entrancing speaker who every year hypnotised the audiences @JaipurLitFest with his wit, subtlety and erudition. He was irreplaceable and will be hugely missed. Om shanti! William Dalrymple, Historian
Few scholars have examined Indian art history with the acuity of Prof Goswamy. He was prolific in his academic work. The depth of his research was matched by his eye— an aesthetic sense that was informed by social and political concerns as much as it was by a pursuit of beauty in art. He was instrumental in according agency to the artist rather than just patrons and social systems or the context that informed an artist’s sensibilities. And through this he did something unmatched in the history of Indian art. His capacity to share his knowledge and engross audiences was, again, singular—showing us ways to appreciate Indian art through the sensibilities of the erudite communities it lived in. He inspired many of us, he was a mentor to many scholars and I will miss him.
Naman P. Ahuja, Professor, Indian Art and Architecture, Jawaharlal Nehru University
Words of wisdom
Prof BN Goswamy specialised in Pahari painting and Indian miniature paintings but wrote and spoke on variety of themes.
His most recent book The Indian Cat: Stories, Paintings, Poetry, and Proverbs looks at all the varied ways in which cats have made themselves a home in our art, literature, and speech, and our hearts.
Nainsukh of Guler: A Great Indian Painter From a Small Hill-State (1997), Wondrous Images: Krishna seen as Shrinath-ji (Pichhwais of the Vallabha Sampradaya) (2014), Indian Costumes In The Collection Of The Calico Museum Of Textiles 2013, Ranga Roopa: God.Words.Images (2010), Piety and Splendour: Sikh Heritage in Art (2000), Krishna – The Divine Lover: Myth and Legend Through Indian Art (1982) are amongst his celebrated tomes that talk of his wide range.
He engaged readers through his column Art & Soul in The Tribune writing of course on art alongwith eclectic topics right from vaccines fragrances to more recently nursery rhymes!
