Mrinmoyee Paul always wanted to be a graphic (Print - making) artist, which is why she enrolled at the Government Art College, Calcutta. During the course of her study, she was attracted to the history of art. “Delving into the evolution of art fascinated me,” she says. After completing her bachelors degree, Paul found that she could not follow both her interests. “Unlike in the West, people here believe that an art historian cannot be a practicing artist and vice versa,” says Paul. Shreyashi Chatterjee, lecturer and head of the department of art history, Rabindra Bharati University, echoes her point. “People don’t take a practicing artist who is an art historian seriously,” she says. “They normally refer to him or her as ‘no artist, or an academic’.” Paul, who decided to take up her second love, is now a research assistant at Gallerie Rasa in Calcutta.

But times are changing with the Indian art market having witnessed a boom (even if it has slumped a bit now) and works of famous artists selling for a few crore rupees at auctions organised by Christie’s and Sotheby’s. Besides, the West’s interest in Indian art means that there is a great demand for experts who can explain this art form to buyers, that is, art historians.

“Every day, galleries specialising in Indian art are opening in Southeast Asian countries like Singapore,” says artist Ashoke Mullick, one of whose works sold for more than Rs 10 lakh at a recent charity auction in Mumbai. “All of them need curators with degrees in art history. There is also a demand for art historians in London galleries that are now stocking up on Indian art.”

Calcutta-based art historian and critic Arun Ghosh explains why art historians are in demand. “The price of a piece of artwork depends on its history, that is, who painted it, when was it painted, who it was sold or gifted to and how it reached its present owner. Say two paintings of the same quality and by the same artist are in the market; the history of one is well documented while the history of another is unknown. The one with a well-documented history will fetch a much higher price.”

Art historians are the ones who can say whether a painting is authentic or a fake. They are the ones responsible for building up a data bank of the works of artists. And it is this data bank that influences the price of an artist’s work in future.

This breed of professionals is also called upon when a painting suddenly surfaces. Not only can they say who painted it, they can also date it. They can even say if a part of the work was painted by a master painter and the rest handled by his students.

Preserving the legacy

Art history was earlier taught only in the history departments of universities. Later, professional art colleges realised the importance of the subject. Kala Bhavan at Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan, was the first to offer a history of art course, followed by the Fine Arts Faculty, Maharaja Siyajirao University, Baroda. It became a compulsory part of the bachelor of fine arts (BFA) course in the mid-80s. “An artist must know about earlier painting styles and genres before he or she can come up with his or her own style,” says Chatterjee.

So, there is always a demand for people to teach the subject. Those interested in academics can take the national eligibility test (NET) after the completion of their masters degree. Art history students can also specialise in restoring or conserving artwork. Says Calcutta-based art historian Pranab Ranjan Ray, “It is absolutely necessary to know the history of art if you want to become a restorer. To restore a painting properly, it is important to know not only the techniques artists used during those times but also the factors that influenced them.”

The National Museum Institute in New Delhi offers a masters course in conservation. Applicants need a bachelors degree in chemistry, physics or fine arts. Knowledge of a classical language or a foreign language is desirable.

All museums are in need of professionals who are equipped with the knowledge to store and preserve precious paintings. So, there is ample scope in this line. But those who opt for this career also have to be adept with the paint brush. Institutes like the Victoria Memorial, Calcutta, employ conservationists and restorers.

Art history students who have the knack of giving pen to their thoughts can become art critics or take up art journalism. “Artists are now investing in glossy catalogues for every exhibition,” says Ray. “Art history students who write the text for these catalogues make a pretty penny.” Students are paid around Rs 2,000 per catalogue while established names get closer to Rs 10,000. Some catalogues are more like coffee table books and the writers are paid between Rs 20,000 and Rs 22,000.

The starting salary at private art galleries is in the range of Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 in Calcutta. Cities like Delhi pay to the tune of Rs 15,000-18,000. Freshers start off as research assistants. If they are able to prepare themselves properly, they can start curating exhibitions by the time they are 28-30 years of age.

Art historians who qualify the NET and take up teaching are paid between Rs 14,000 and Rs 17,000. Art critics are paid around Rs 500 per article, with famous names being paid almost double the amount.

So what does one need to become an art historian? “You have to be really interested in the subject,” says Chatterjee, adding, “apart from having an artistic bent of mind.” On the flip side, Pal warns, “Be ready to work really, really hard. Art history is an interdisciplinary field and covers a vast range of subjects.”

Why wait? Dip your paintbrush in history and start off.