Bengal’s Lost Art Reborn

🖊️Roopsa Ganguly

In a city where literature breathes through its streets, the 48th International Kolkata Book Fair has become the stage for a remarkable revival of Bengal’s artistic heritage. The exhibition ‘Engraved Illustrations: Journey of Book Illustrations during 19th-Century Bengal’, curated by Jyotirmoy Bhattacharya, is enchanting visitors with its tribute to the lost craftsmanship of woodblock printing and engraving. A joint initiative by the Publishers & Booksellers Guild and Art Alinda Archive, this showcase celebrates an era when book illustrations were more than just visuals—they were storytelling in their own right.

Stepping into the exhibition at Boimela Prangan, Karunamoyee, Salt Lake is like walking through history. A mesmerizing collection of engraved books, ancient wood blocks, and delicate prints unveils the forgotten artistry that once graced Bengali literature. Live demonstrations by Battala artisans and a daily Wood and Lino Cut Workshop allow visitors to witness the precision and dedication required to create these masterpieces. Every hour, the curator himself takes attendees through the evolution of Bengali printmaking, bringing to life the dedication of artists who labored to immortalize literature in wood and ink.

The journey began in 1778, when the first Bengali book, A Grammar of the Bengal Language by Nathaniel Brassey Halhed, was printed. From that moment, printing in Bengal took a transformative turn. The exhibition highlights the crucial role of Panchanan Karmakar, the man behind the first Bengali typeface, and the explosive growth of illustrated books in the 19th century—a time when Battala prints, lithographs, and hand-engraved illustrations revolutionized the publishing industry.

Beyond the visually arresting displays, the exhibition hosts an array of engaging panel discussions and audio-visual presentations, covering themes like Print Making in 19th-Century Kolkata, Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury & Halftone Prints, The Evolution of Bengali Magazines, The Artistic Journey of Bengali Medical Books, Music and Drama in 19th-Century Kolkata, and Battala Printmaking and Its Influence. For young readers, Golper Pathsala, inspired by Rabindranath Tagore and Dakshinaranjan Mitra Majumdar, creates an interactive storytelling space where folklore and illustrations come alive. A special assured gift program ensures that children not only absorb knowledge but also carry home a piece of this artistic legacy.

Traditional engraving techniques may have faded with time, but this exhibition brings them back into focus. Bengal’s artistic pioneers—some famous, some forgotten—paved the way for modern book design. As publishing houses now favor digital illustrations, this event serves as a powerful reminder of the painstaking craftsmanship that defined an era. It urges today’s illustrators and designers to revisit and reinvent these lost techniques in contemporary storytelling.

At a time when artistic traditions often take a backseat to modernity, this exhibition serves as a bridge between the past and the future. It’s not just an archival display; it’s an invitation—to rediscover, to reimagine, and to carry forward a legacy that deserves to be preserved. This is more than just an exhibition; it’s a movement that calls upon artists, historians, and book lovers alike to ensure that Bengal’s rich artistic tradition is never lost again.