Regional artists, under the Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi (CLKA), paid tributes to internationally renowned art historian and Indian iconography specialist DC Bhattacharya, who passed away on Saturday.
Bhattacharya was the founding member of the department of fine arts, Panjab University, and was the chairperson of the department for over 12 years, and the CLKA for seven years.
He was awarded the Bageshwari Research Fellowship, the UGC Senior Fellowship in the Centre of Advance Study, Calcutta University, and the John D Rockefeller Foundation Research Fellowship for visiting museums associated with Buddhist art collections.
He was also felicitated with the lifetime achievement award in teaching and research (2008) by the Asiatic Society, and the Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi Amrita Sher-gil Samman (2013) for his achievements in art history.
Sharing fond memories, CLKA chairperson Bheem Malhotra says, “Bhattacharya was a founder member of the Akademi. He encouraged young artists and his expertise led to many talents coming forward. He would talk about all things art and its history for hours. His death is a major loss to the art world.”
Diwan Manna, president of the Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi, says, “He was an art history expert. His passing is a big loss to art enthusiasts. He had retired years ago but was always there when one needed his inputs.”
{{/usCountry}}Diwan Manna, president of the Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi, says, “He was an art history expert. His passing is a big loss to art enthusiasts. He had retired years ago but was always there when one needed his inputs.”
{{/usCountry}}Artist Gurtej Singh Sarna says, “Bhattacharya had a unique and engaging teaching style. He had unmatched knowledge about ancient Indian art.”
Bhattacharya is survived by his wife Neelima and son Prof Tirthankar Bhattacharya.