Ernest Binfield Havell (September 16, 1861 – December 31, 1934), who published under the name E.B. Havell, was an influential British arts administrator, art historian and author of numerous books about Indian art and architecture. He was a member of the Havell family of artists and art educators. He was the principal of the Government School of Art, Calcutta from 1896-1905, where along with Abanindranath Tagore, lead to develop a style of art and art education based on Indian rather than Western models, which lead to the foundation of Bengal school of art.[1][2]
Ernest Binfield Havell | |
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Born | |
Died | December 31, 1934 | (aged 73)
Occupation(s) | arts administrator, art historian, art critic |
Early life
He was born in Berkshire, England, in 1861.[3]
Career
In India, Havell initially served the Madras School of Art as Superintendent for a decade from 1884. He arrived Calcutta on July 5, 1896 and joined as Superintendent of the Government School of Art, Calcutta next day. In between, he went to England for a year from April, 1902 to March, 1903. While in England, he published two valuable articles on Indian art in the October 1902 and January, 1903 issues of a well known art journal of London, The Studio. In January, 1906 he left for England on long leave and finally in 1908, he was removed from the post.[4]
Havell worked with Abanindranath Tagore to redefine Indian art education. He established the Bengal school of art, which sought to adapt British art education in India so as to reject the previous emphasis placed on European traditions in favour of revivals of native Indian styles of art, in particular the Mughal miniature tradition.
Personal life
He married Angelique Wilhelmina Jacobsen in 1895 at St Giles, London, Middlesex, England., and couple had a daughter, Sonia Joyce Havell in 1902.[3]
Works
Havell wrote numerous books on Indian art and history, including:
- A Handbook of Indian Art
- Havell, E. B. (1904). A Handbook to Agra and the Taj, Sikandra, Fatehpur-Sikri and the neighbourhood (1904). Longmans, Greens & Co., London.
- Havell, E. B. (1905). Benares, the sacred city: sketches of Hindu life and religion. Blackie and Sons Ltd., London.
- Havell, E. B. (1906). Monograph on stone-carving in Bengal. The Bengal Secreteriat Book Depot.
- Havell, E. B. (1907). Essays on Indian art, industry & education. G. A. Natesan & Co. , Madras.
- Havell, E. B. (1908). Indian sculpture and painting. John Murray, London.
- Havell, E. B. (1912). The Basis for Artistic and Industrial Revival in India. The Theosophist Office, Madras.
- Havell, E.B. (1913). Indian Architecture, its psychology, structure, and history from the first Muhammadan invasion to the present day. J. Murray, London.
- Havell, E. B. (1915). The Ancient and Medieval Architecture of India: a study of Indo-Aryan civilisation. John Murray, London.
- Havell, E. B. (1918). The History of Aryan Rule In India from the earliest times to the death of Akbar. Frederick A. Stokes Co., New York.
- Havell, E. B. (1920). The Ideals of Indian art. E. P. Dutton and Co., New York.
Notes
- ^ Mitter, Partha (2001). Indian art. Oxford University Press. p. 177. ISBN 0192842218.
- ^ Cotter, Holland (August 19, 2008). "Art Review: Indian Modernism via an Eclectic and Elusive Artist". New York Times.
- ^ a b Descendants of Luke Havell
- ^ Bagal, Jogesh Chandra (1966). History of the Govt. College of Art and Craft in the Centenary: Government College of Art & Craft, Calcutta, Calcutta: Government College of Art & Craft, pp.21-34
External links
- Works by Ernest Binfield Havel at Project Gutenberg
- Free non-copyrighted e-books by Ernest Binfield Havel at Internet Archive