(25 July, 1933 -29 July, 2006)
Gopal Sanyal hailed from Orissa in 1933 and he was an Indian modern and contemporary artist and also, served as a lecturer in fine arts. Sanyal was a founder of “Calcutta Painter Group” in 1948. He studied diploma in Fine Arts from the Govt. College of Art and Craft, Calcutta, where he was influenced by Bengal School of Art.
Sanyal preferred drawing over painting, but he also showed passion and skill for using colours in his paintings. His art featured bright colours and detailed designs, reflecting his strong connection to Indian culture and spirituality. He focused on drawing and creating decorative architectural representations. The artworks often depicted everyday scenes such as people on the roadside, traveling musicians, and animals. He was skilled in anatomy, which showed in how he distorted forms in his art. He drew inspiration from the Bengal School of Art, which emphasized traditional Indian art forms and subjects, as well as Impressionist techniques, similar to artists like Paul Cezanne. His compositions often reflected a sophisticated use of color and form, influenced by the Western artistic styles.
Sanyal’s drawings and mixed media works often depicted everyday individuals, like bird sellers and Baul musicians. This revealed his empathy for hardworking, economically disadvantaged people who typically existed on the margins of society. He focuses more on humanity than on divinity. Most of his works show the struggles of people fighting with strength and energy against the challenges of an unfair society.
Sanyal had a deep understanding of human anatomy, which allowed him to distort forms to convey emotion and mood effectively. He worked extensively in mixed media, using techniques that combined watercolours, pen and ink, and other media to achieve intricate textures and details, his colour was vibrant and expressive, often using bold hues to convey the vibrancy and richness of Indian life. His artworks often told stories, focusing on the lives and struggles of ordinary people, revealing his deep empathy for the underprivileged and marginalized sections of society. The figures often displayed dynamic gestures and movements, adding a sense of life and activity to his compositions, also depicted plants and flowers in a naturalistic style in the background.
Gopal Sanyal passed away on 29 July, 2006.
