Which English art historian got the "Hand Book of Indian Art" published ?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 1:
E. V. Havell

Ernest Binfield Havell was a pivotal English art historian and arts administrator in colonial India, most notably serving as the Principal of the Government School of Art in Calcutta. He is correctly identified as the author of *A Handbook of Indian Art* (published in 1927). Havell was a strong advocate for traditional Indian art, passionately arguing against the imposition of European academic styles. His book and other major works, such as *Indian Sculpture and Painting*, were foundational in the early 20th century, helping to re-establish the dignity and aesthetic value of India's artistic traditions both domestically and internationally. He was a key ideological figure who profoundly influenced the rise of the Bengal School of Art.

The incorrect option is 2:
Manish Dey was a prominent Indian painter and an important member of the Bengal School of Art. He was known for his mastery of the Wash Technique and his contribution to the nationalist art movement. Dey was a creative artist and practitioner, not a scholarly English art historian who penned a foundational survey text of this nature. His role was artistic and cultural, whereas the question asks for the author of a specific historical handbook.

The incorrect option is 3:
Mukul Chandra Dey was a renowned Indian artist and printmaker, particularly famous for his etchings and drypoints, and was the first Indian Principal of the Government School of Art, Calcutta. While a significant figure in the Indian art world, he was an Indian artist from Bengal. Crucially, he was not an English art historian, nor is he the author of the *Hand Book of Indian Art*.

The incorrect option is 4:
Shailendra Nath Dey was another influential painter associated with the Bengal School, known for his delicate use of the Wash Technique and his depictions of Indian mythology. He was a master artist and a student of Abanindranath Tagore. Like the other Dey brothers, his primary contribution was in the realm of creative painting and art education in India, not in authoring the major historical survey of Indian art referenced, which was written by a British scholar.