Nandalal Bose
Bengal School painter who illustrated the Constitution of India
- Lived
- 83 yrs
- 1882 – 1966
- Works listed
- 3
- Painting, Illustration
- Honours
- 1
- Most recent 1954
- Profile views
- 3
- 0 followers
Nandalal Bose was a painter of the Bengal School and one of the founders of modern Indian art. As head of Kala Bhavana at Santiniketan he trained generations of artists, and he led the illustration of the original manuscript of the Constitution of India. He died in 1966.
Biography
A student of Abanindranath
Nandalal Bose trained under Abanindranath Tagore at the Government School of Art in Calcutta, joining the Bengal School’s effort to create a modern Indian art rooted in Indian traditions rather than European academic painting. He studied the murals of Ajanta and Bagh, copying them for the archaeological survey.
Santiniketan
In 1922 Rabindranath Tagore invited him to lead Kala Bhavana, the art school at Visva-Bharati in Santiniketan. He made art part of daily life there, encouraging students to draw from nature, village crafts and murals. Among those he taught or influenced were Benode Behari Mukherjee, Ramkinkar Baij and the young Satyajit Ray.
Art for the freedom movement
At Mahatma Gandhi’s invitation he decorated the venues of Congress sessions, and for the Haripura session of 1938 he painted a series of bold posters of village life, now among his best-known works and declared national art treasures.
The Constitution
After independence Bose and his students illustrated the hand-written original of the Constitution of India with scenes from Indian history and culture. He also designed the emblems of national awards such as the Bharat Ratna and Padma Shri. He received the Padma Vibhushan in 1954 and died in Santiniketan on 16 April 1966.
Timeline
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1882
Born in Haveli Kharagpur, Munger district, Bengal Presidency (now Bihar)
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1905
Joins the Government School of Art, Calcutta
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1922
Heads Kala Bhavana at Santiniketan
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1938
Haripura posters for the Congress session
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1950
Illustrations for the Constitution of India
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1954
Padma Vibhushan
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1966
Dies in Santiniketan
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1966
Died, aged 83
Notable works
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1938
Haripura posters Painting
Series.
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1950
Illustrations for the Constitution of India Illustration
-
1907
Sati Painting
Awards and honours
-
Padma Vibhushan
1954
Did you know?
-
1
He designed the emblems of the Bharat Ratna and Padma Shri.
-
2
His students illustrated the original Constitution of India.
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3
He copied the Ajanta murals early in his career.
Connections
Related people
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Rabindranath Tagore
Music · Poet, writer and composer; first non-European Nobel laureate in Literature
Invited him to Santiniketan
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Mahatma Gandhi
Politics & Leadership · Leader of India’s independence movement and pioneer of non-violent resistance
Commissioned the Haripura posters
-
Satyajit Ray
Film & TV · Filmmaker and writer, director of the Apu Trilogy
Taught him at Santiniketan
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Jamini Roy
Art & Design · Painter who drew on Bengali folk art
Contemporary Bengali painter
Frequently asked
Who is Nandalal Bose?
Nandalal Bose was a painter of the Bengal School and one of the founders of modern Indian art. As head of Kala Bhavana at Santiniketan he trained generations of artists, and he led the illustration of the original manuscript of the Constitution of India. He died in 1966.
When did Nandalal Bose die?
Nandalal Bose died on 16 April 1966 at the age of 83.
Where is Nandalal Bose from?
Nandalal Bose was born in Haveli Kharagpur, Munger district, Bengal Presidency (now Bihar).
What is Nandalal Bose known for?
Nandalal Bose is best known for Haripura posters; illustrating the Constitution of India; Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan.
What awards has Nandalal Bose received?
Notable honours include Padma Vibhushan (1954).
References
- Nandalal Bose — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Nandalal Bose — Invaluable artist page. Invaluable. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Nandalal Bose — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Nandalal Bose (Q3348980) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Nandalal Bose”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 27 October 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Nandalal Bose.” TrackFame, last updated 28 October 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/nandalal-bose
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