Mukul Dey

Mukul Dey (1895-1989) is an esteemed Indian artist who revolutionized the art of drypoint–etching in India. He portrayed the quintessence of India, showcasing the virile and positive aspects of traditional influences through enriched aesthetics during pre-independent India.  

Dey was a student of Rabindranath Tagore’s Shantiniketan school. During the early 20th century, he honed his skills in drypoint-etching, which is evident in his serene rendition. This evolutionary stage set him on a self-discovery outside the country, making him the first Indian to go overseas to study printmaking as a form of art and as a profession, too. 

An empathic artist at heart, Dey depicts his art through everyday perspectives. He captures traditional symbolism by infusing cultural simplicity. This can be viewed in his paintings of bazaars of Calcutta, the traditional Baul singers, the life of Santhal villages in Birbhum or prominent river scenes of Bengal, and even a portrait of Rabindranath Tagore.

Some of his striking masterpieces are created using watercolours, colour pencils, and plain ink. His creations conform to a dramatic aura that transpires an emotional connection with the viewers and leaves behind a sense of nostalgia. 

Through his travels to America, Japan, and Europe, Dey used his extensive knowledge of etching techniques to draw portraits of the rich and famous. Later, he converted them into drypoint- etching. On his return to India, Dey continued to use this method but more in an Indian setting, cementing the foundation for his artwork. 

Dey’s highly acclaimed paintings are housed in the National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai, the Indian Museum, Kolkata, the National Gallery of Art, Delhi, and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Mukul Dey breathed last at his home in Shantiniketan, India.