Creative Writing 228 Report

Maria Livingston
CREATIVE_WRITING
CREATIVE_WRITING_228_REPORT
On the original manuscript of Constitution of India, Rammanohar's artworks on page 1
(Harappan seal), 102 (Lanka), 104 (Vikramaditya and his coin/seal), 105 (Nalanda seal),
106 (Kalinga archer), 113 (Nataraja and Swastika), 160 (Subhas Chandra Bose), 167
(Landscape), 181 (Maritime Expedition motif), 231-232 (borders) bear testimony to his
saintly refusal to sign his artworks as a mark of his altruistic contribution to the Nation.In
the nationalistic style typical of the revivalist Bengal School of Art, Rammanohar executed a
myriad of fresco-secco in 1952-53 on the walls and the dome of Shaheed-Smarak or
Martyrs'-Memorial Concert Hall in Jabalpur, depicting various episodes and landmarks in
India's struggle for independence starting from 1654 CE and ending with the unfurling of
Indian tricolour on Independence Day in 1947 CE.These were the leftover-drawings that
were to be included in the Constitution, but could not be.Of particular significance are the
one depicting the Quit India Movement (pictured) which has also been published in
Encyclopædia Britannica and the one on Rani Durgavati, which has been credited with the
very first unambiguous painting of the valiant warrior queen of the Gondwana-fiefdom of
Garha-Mandla who dared to challenge Akbar's mighty army in order to safeguard her
country's independence.Likewise, Rammanohar also executed Fresco-secco mural depicting
the birth of Gautama Buddha on the walls of Kala Bhavana hostel building in Visva-Bharati
University, Shantiniketan.In preparation for the 59th annual congregation of national
leaders in Kalyani, West Bengal in 1954, Rammanohar and his team illuminated the entire
venue, especially the gateway and the stage, with panels and posters on nationalistic themes
using locally procured biodegradable material, natural earth colours and
Khadi.Rammanohar received widespread acclaim for these artworks.== Cultural diplomacy
==
As a scholar and cultural emissary, the Indian government sent Rammanohar to the Far East
between 1957 and 1959 to "establish a direct cross-cultural and inter-civilization
bridge".While in China, Rammanohar worked with great maestros Qi Baishi, Li Keran, Chen
Banding, Pan Tianshou, Wu Jingding, Wu Zuoren, Li Kuchan, Fu Baoshi, Yu Fei'an, executed
numerous artworks jointly that include the famous painting Meishan Bridge pictured drying
in the background, and interacted with a few political top brass after Phase-I of the Chinese
Hundred Flowers Campaign.In unison with Rahul Sankrityayan, Rammanohar's creative
initiative in cultural diplomacy has been credited with easing tensions substantially over
the disputed Sino-Indian border for a few years.Rammanohar also spread Indian art
overseas while personally mastering all three far-eastern schools of painting Kung-pi, Shui-
mo and Xie-yi, as well as the lacquer-work.As such, classic Indian influences are clearly
evident in some of the artworks of Ye Qianyu, Shi Lu and many other renowned far-eastern
painters.Rammanohar has, thus, occasionally been referred-to as the Huen Tsang of
India.== Interaction with contemporaries ==
Of his Indian contemporaries, he was particularly close to S. H. Raza, B. C. Sanyal, K. G.
Subramanyan and Narayan Shridhar Bendre.Raza visited Rammanohar's studio in India and
he also visited Raza's studio in 1997 during his sojourn in Europe.Likewise, Jagdish
Swaminathan in 1987 and M. F. Husain in 1986 visited Rammanohar's studio, in addition to
visiting his exhibitions in India and Europe.Modern painter Akbar Padamsee was so
inspired by his art-genre that he not only acknowledged it but also expressed his keen
desire to learn it from Rammanohar.With Rammanohar, some of these artists even
exchanged paintings as gifts.As such, in addition to artworks of the above, his diverse
collection also included paintings of Kattingeri Krishna Hebbar, Abdulrahim Apabhai
Almelkar, Gopal Ghose, Manjit Bawa, Jeram Patel, Jyoti Bhatt, Jogen Chowdhury, Manohar
Akre, Ram Kumar in addition to those of the Santiniketan art maestros, that he gave
away.Other artists, sculptors and printmakers who visited Rammanohar's studio from time
to time included Surendranath Kar, Avtar Singh Panwar, Kripal Singh Shekhawat, Balbir
Singh Katt, Ghulam Mohammed Sheikh, Chinmay Mehta, Somnath Hore, Sukhen Ganguly,
Sovon Som, Jadunath Supakar, Biswarup Bose.Even litterateurs like Nirmal Verma and
Ashok Vajpeyi visited his studio-cum-residence.== International collections ==
The British Museum, London, UK.The British Empire and Commonwealth Museum, Bristol,
UK.The Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK.The Organization for Industrial, Spiritual
and Cultural Advancement International, Tokyo, Japan.Tate Britain at Millbank, London,
UK.The Imperial Commonwealth Institute, London, UK.The University of Saskatchewan,
Canada.The University of Birmingham Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Birmingham,
UK.University of Reading, UK.AAFC, Federal Government of Canada.Air India Art Collection,
Mumbai, India.The Observer, Mumbai, India.Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, India.India
Tourism Development Corporation, New Delhi, India.The Rashtrapati Bhavan (Presidential
Palace), New Delhi, India.China Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, People's Republic of
China.The Kala Bhavana Collections at Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, India.The
Roopankar Museum Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal, India.The Indira Kala Sangeet University,
Khairagarh, India.The Rani Durgavati Museum, Jabalpur, India.The Martyr's Memorial
Permanent Art Collection, Jabalpur, India.Government Kalaniketan Institute of Fine Arts,
Jabalpur, India.== Worldwide auctions ==
Rammanohar's paintings have been auctioned alongside those of Hebbar, Husain, Raza,
Souza, Gaitonde, Subramanyan, Pyne and others in New York and London by Sotheby's.==
Selected honors and awards ==

KalaShri title award for exemplary contributions in the field of fine arts, New Delhi, India,
2001.

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Maria Livingston

On the original manuscript of Constitution of India, Rammanohar's artworks on page 1

myriad of fresco-secco in 1952-53 on the walls and the dome of Shaheed-Smarak or

Martyrs'-Memorial Concert Hall in Jabalpur, depicting various episodes and landmarks in

country's independence.Likewise, Rammanohar also executed Fresco-secco mural depicting

University, Shantiniketan.In preparation for the 59th annual congregation of national

Khadi.Rammanohar received widespread acclaim for these artworks.== Cultural diplomacy

between 1957 and 1959 to "establish a direct cross-cultural and inter-civilization

Banding, Pan Tianshou, Wu Jingding, Wu Zuoren, Li Kuchan, Fu Baoshi, Yu Fei'an, executed

Hundred Flowers Campaign.In unison with Rahul Sankrityayan, Rammanohar's creative

painters.Rammanohar has, thus, occasionally been referred-to as the Huen Tsang of

India.== Interaction with contemporaries ==

Of his Indian contemporaries, he was particularly close to S. H. Raza, B. C. Sanyal, K. G.

Swaminathan in 1987 and M. F. Husain in 1986 visited Rammanohar's studio, in addition to

desire to learn it from Rammanohar.With Rammanohar, some of these artists even

Ashok Vajpeyi visited his studio-cum-residence.== International collections ==

and Cultural Advancement International, Tokyo, Japan.Tate Britain at Millbank, London,

UK.The Imperial Commonwealth Institute, London, UK.The University of Saskatchewan,

Canada.The University of Birmingham Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Birmingham,

UK.University of Reading, UK.AAFC, Federal Government of Canada.Air India Art Collection,

Tourism Development Corporation, New Delhi, India.The Rashtrapati Bhavan (Presidential

China.The Kala Bhavana Collections at Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, India.The

Khairagarh, India.The Rani Durgavati Museum, Jabalpur, India.The Martyr's Memorial

Permanent Art Collection, Jabalpur, India.Government Kalaniketan Institute of Fine Arts,

Jabalpur, India.== Worldwide auctions ==

Selected honors and awards ==

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