Introduction
- Date of Birth
- 07 Feb 1904
- Zodiac sign
- Aquarius
- Date of Death
- 19 Nov 1980
- Age
- 76
- Place of Birth
- , West Bengal, India
- Spouse(s)
- Leela mukherjee
- Children
- Daughter mrinalini mukherjee
- State Country of Birth
- West Bengal, India
1917
- Enrolled as a student in the school at Santiniketan, India
1919
- Kala Bhavan, Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan, India (Student of Nandalal Bose)
1919 – 1924
1936
- Visited Japan where the Tosa School, calligraphy, and Japanese screen traditions shape his use of line, space, and materials
1947
- Visited Najibabad (India) during the summer and undertook a journey into Nepal, which inspired a vast number of sketches and watercolors
1920
- Does his first mural on the walls of his hostel room
1923
- Assists Nandalal in the painting of his murals in the old library building, inspired by scrolls in the Bagh and Ajanta cave paintings
1924
- Prints murals in 16 niches of the Satoshalaya building, Visva Bharati, depicting Santhal life
1925
- Teacher, Librarian and Curator, Kala Bhavan, Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan, India
1925 – 1949
1929
- Becomes a full-fledged teacher at Kala Bhavan Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan, India
1937
- Assists Nandalal at Haripura Congress where he designed and constructed the entire township with local materials and decorated it with the Haripura posters
1940
- Paints a mural in the ceiling of the hostel of Kala Bhavan dormitory, which is considered to be the first of his significant murals
1946
- Begins to paint the Hindi Bhavan mural at Visva Bharati
1946 – 1947
1948
- Leaves Santiniketan to assume the position of curator at the Nepal Government Museum in Kathmandu, Nepal
1950
- Paints murals at Banasthali in Rajasthan, India
1952
- Starts Art Training and a School for Children in Mussoorie, India
- Establishes Art and Craft Centre in Mussoorie, India
1954
- Gets appointed as Educational Advisor to Art School, Patna, India
1958
- Gets appointed as U.G.C. Professor, Art Theory Faculty, Kala Bhavan, Santiniketan, India
1958 – 1970
1967
- Assumes position of Principal of Kala Bhavan, Kolkata, India
1968
- Gets appointed as Professor at Kala Bhavan
1970
- Gets appointed as a Professor Emeritus at Visva Bharati Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan, India
- Gets elected as fellow of the Lalit Kala Akademi, Delhi India
Exhibitions
1934
- Benode Behari exhibits in the Kala Bhavan group show at the Congress House, Chennai, India
26 Oct 1934 to 31 Oct 1934
1936
- Exhibited at the Horeganji temple, Tsukiji, Tokyo, Japan
- Participated at Exhibition organised by the Nippon Cultural Federation, Nippon Bunka Renmei
26 Apr 1936 to 28 Apr 1936
1938
- Exhibits at a group show of Kala Bhavan organised by the Santiniketan Ashramik Sangha
1939
- Exhibits at the Kala Bhavan group show at the Bangiya Parishad in February
1944
- Exhibits with Ramkinkar at the YMCA, New Delhi, India
18 Oct 1944 to 21 Oct 1944
1945
- First exhibition of the Kolkata Group in Kolkata, India
1946
- Exhibition of works of Benode Behari of landscapes and flower studies, organised by the Ashramik Sangha, Kolkata, India
1948
- Exhibits 69 works at Savoy Hotel in Mussoorie, India
22 Jun 1948 to 25 Jun 1948
1949
- Retrospective, Varanasi, India
1950
- Works produced in Nepal are exhibited in Patna in November along with those of Leela Mukherjee and Riten Mazumdar at the Hindi Sahitya Sammelan Bhavan, Patna, India
1951
- Exhibition of works with Leela, Jitendra Kumar and Riten Mazumdar at Freemason's Hall, Delhi organised by Shilpi Chakra, New Delhi, India
13 Oct 1951 to 19 Oct 1951
1953
- Exhibition of works at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, India
14 Dec 1953 to 20 Dec 1953
1959
- Retrospective exhibition at the Indian Museum, Kolkata, India
10 Feb 1959 to 18 Feb 1959
1960
- Exhibition of his works at Kala Bhavan, Kolkata, India
29 Aug 1960 to 04 Sep 1960
1963
- Retrospective, New Delhi, India
1964
- Retrospective, Varanasi, India
1969
- Retrospective, New Delhi, India
1979
- Exhibition of his works at the Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata opened on 09 May, Kolkata, India
- Post-blindness work shown at Art Heritage, New Delhi, India
1980
- Benode Behari Memorial Exhibition at Nandan, Kala Bhavan, Kolkata, India
02 Dec 1980 to 07 Dec 1980
1995
- Man & Nature: Reflections of Six Artists, National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, India
1997
- Santiniketan: The Making of Contextual Modernism, National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, India
- Santiniketan: The Making of Contextual Modernism, National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi, India
1998
10 Dec 1998 to 22 Dec 1998
2001
07 Aug 2001 to 14 Aug 2001
2003
- Pictorial Transformations: Treasures from the collection of the National Gallery of Modern Art, National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Mumbai, India (NGMA), Mumbai, India
19 Apr 2003 to 19 May 2003
2006
30 Dec 2006 to 11 Feb 2007
2008
- Freedom 2008: Sixty Years of Indian Independence, Museum Gallery, Mumbai, India
- Freedom 2008: Sixty Years of Indian Independence,Centre for International Modern Art, Kolkata, India
2011
- Ethos V: Indian Art Through the Lens of History (1900 to 1980), Indigo Blue Art, Singapore
- Manifestations VI, Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
2012
- Works by Benode Behari Mukherjee
15 Jun 2012 to 14 Jul 2012
- Nandalal Bose & Benode Behari Mukherjee, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, India
2013
- Manifestations X: 75 artists, 20th Century Indian Art, Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
30 Dec 2013 to 08 Mar 2014
2014
- Indian Abstracts, An Absence Of Form, Delhi Art Gallery (DAG) New Delhi, India,
11 Aug 2014 to 30 Sep 2014
- Manifestations XI: 75 Artists, 20th Century Indian Art, Delhi Art Gallery,(DAG) New Delhi, India
15 Oct 2014 to 15 Nov 2014
- Indian Abstracts, An Absence Of Form, Delhi Art Gallery (DAG) New Delhi, India,
07 Dec 2014 to 05 Feb 2015
2015
- A Visual History of Indian Modern Art, Delhi Art Gallery, Mumbai, India
- Indian Abstracts, An Absence Of Form, Delhi Art Gallery (DAG) New Delhi, India,
13 Jun 2015 to 12 Sep 2015
2016
2019
- Between Sight and Insight: Glimpses of Benode Behari Mukherjee, Vadhera Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
19 Jan 2019 to 22 Feb 2019
2020
- A World Of One's Own, Vadehra Art Gallery (D-40) New Delhi, India
19 Jun 2020 to 19 Jul 2020
- Benode Behari Mukherjee: After Sight, David Zwirner, London,UK
10 Jan 2020 to 22 Feb 2020
2021
- Indian Blue: From Realism To Abstraction, Delhi Art Gallery, The Claridges, Delhi, India
10 Oct 2021 to 13 Dec 2021
2022
- Benode Behari Mukherjee, Through Wakefulness, A Night Rising, Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
28 Nov 2022 to 28 Jan 2023
- Kolkata: Run In The Alley, Marres, House for Contemporary Culture, Maastricht, The Netherlands
11 Sep 2022 to 13 Nov 2022
2023
- Very Small Feelings, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), New Delhi, India
04 Jul 2023 to 03 Oct 2023
2024
- Purvaee, Evoking Pedagogic Lineages, Kiran Nadar Museum of Modern Art (KNMA), Noida, India
13 Sep 2024 to 15 Dec 2024
- Of Friendships: Krishna Reddy & His World, Experimenter, Ballygunge Place, Kolkata, India
20 Jul 2024 to 21 Sep 2024
- People, Places, Things, Vadehra art Gallery, New Delhi, India
06 May 2024 to 15 Jun 2024
- Past in Perspective Printmaking Practices in India, Akar Prakar, Kolkata, India
23 Aug 2024 to 28 Sep 2024
- Past in Perspective Printmaking Practices from Bengal, Akar Prakar, New Delhi, India
20 Jun 2024 to 27 Jul 2024
2025
- Banaras, Imagined Landscape, Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
08 Feb 2025 to 05 Apr 2025
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Mukherjee, Benode Behari (Artist). Benode Behari Mukherjee, 1998 | Solo Exhibition Invitation | 00859355
1945
- First exhibition of the Kolkata Group in Kolkata, India
1949
- Retrospective, Varanasi, India
1953
- Exhibition of works at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, India
14 Dec 1953 to 20 Dec 1953
1959
- Retrospective exhibition at the Indian Museum, Kolkata, India
10 Feb 1959 to 18 Feb 1959
1960
- Exhibition of his works at Kala Bhavan, Kolkata, India
29 Aug 1960 to 04 Sep 1960
1963
- Retrospective, New Delhi, India
1964
- Retrospective, Varanasi, India
1969
- Retrospective, New Delhi, India
1979
- Exhibition of his works at the Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata opened on 09 May, Kolkata, India
- Post-blindness work shown at Art Heritage, New Delhi, India
1980
- Benode Behari Memorial Exhibition at Nandan, Kala Bhavan, Kolkata, India
02 Dec 1980 to 07 Dec 1980
1997
- Santiniketan: The Making of Contextual Modernism, National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, India
1998
10 Dec 1998 to 22 Dec 1998
2006
30 Dec 2006 to 11 Feb 2007
2011
- Ethos V: Indian Art Through the Lens of History (1900 to 1980), Indigo Blue Art, Singapore
2012
- Works by Benode Behari Mukherjee
15 Jun 2012 to 14 Jul 2012
2019
- Between Sight and Insight: Glimpses of Benode Behari Mukherjee, Vadhera Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
19 Jan 2019 to 22 Feb 2019
2020
- Benode Behari Mukherjee: After Sight, David Zwirner, London,UK
10 Jan 2020 to 22 Feb 2020
2022
- Benode Behari Mukherjee, Through Wakefulness, A Night Rising, Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
28 Nov 2022 to 28 Jan 2023
1 / 2
Mukherjee, Benode Behari (Artist). Benode Behari Mukherjee, 1998 | Solo Exhibition Invitation | 00859355
1934
- Benode Behari exhibits in the Kala Bhavan group show at the Congress House, Chennai, India
26 Oct 1934 to 31 Oct 1934
1936
- Exhibited at the Horeganji temple, Tsukiji, Tokyo, Japan
- Participated at Exhibition organised by the Nippon Cultural Federation, Nippon Bunka Renmei
26 Apr 1936 to 28 Apr 1936
1938
- Exhibits at a group show of Kala Bhavan organised by the Santiniketan Ashramik Sangha
1939
- Exhibits at the Kala Bhavan group show at the Bangiya Parishad in February
1944
- Exhibits with Ramkinkar at the YMCA, New Delhi, India
18 Oct 1944 to 21 Oct 1944
1946
- Exhibition of works of Benode Behari of landscapes and flower studies, organised by the Ashramik Sangha, Kolkata, India
1948
- Exhibits 69 works at Savoy Hotel in Mussoorie, India
22 Jun 1948 to 25 Jun 1948
1950
- Works produced in Nepal are exhibited in Patna in November along with those of Leela Mukherjee and Riten Mazumdar at the Hindi Sahitya Sammelan Bhavan, Patna, India
1951
- Exhibition of works with Leela, Jitendra Kumar and Riten Mazumdar at Freemason's Hall, Delhi organised by Shilpi Chakra, New Delhi, India
13 Oct 1951 to 19 Oct 1951
1995
- Man & Nature: Reflections of Six Artists, National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, India
1997
- Santiniketan: The Making of Contextual Modernism, National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi, India
2001
07 Aug 2001 to 14 Aug 2001
2003
- Pictorial Transformations: Treasures from the collection of the National Gallery of Modern Art, National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Mumbai, India (NGMA), Mumbai, India
19 Apr 2003 to 19 May 2003
2008
- Freedom 2008: Sixty Years of Indian Independence, Museum Gallery, Mumbai, India
- Freedom 2008: Sixty Years of Indian Independence,Centre for International Modern Art, Kolkata, India
2011
- Manifestations VI, Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
2012
- Nandalal Bose & Benode Behari Mukherjee, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, India
2013
- Manifestations X: 75 artists, 20th Century Indian Art, Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
30 Dec 2013 to 08 Mar 2014
2014
- Indian Abstracts, An Absence Of Form, Delhi Art Gallery (DAG) New Delhi, India,
11 Aug 2014 to 30 Sep 2014
- Manifestations XI: 75 Artists, 20th Century Indian Art, Delhi Art Gallery,(DAG) New Delhi, India
15 Oct 2014 to 15 Nov 2014
- Indian Abstracts, An Absence Of Form, Delhi Art Gallery (DAG) New Delhi, India,
07 Dec 2014 to 05 Feb 2015
2015
- A Visual History of Indian Modern Art, Delhi Art Gallery, Mumbai, India
- Indian Abstracts, An Absence Of Form, Delhi Art Gallery (DAG) New Delhi, India,
13 Jun 2015 to 12 Sep 2015
2016
2020
- A World Of One's Own, Vadehra Art Gallery (D-40) New Delhi, India
19 Jun 2020 to 19 Jul 2020
2021
- Indian Blue: From Realism To Abstraction, Delhi Art Gallery, The Claridges, Delhi, India
10 Oct 2021 to 13 Dec 2021
2022
- Kolkata: Run In The Alley, Marres, House for Contemporary Culture, Maastricht, The Netherlands
11 Sep 2022 to 13 Nov 2022
2023
- Very Small Feelings, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), New Delhi, India
04 Jul 2023 to 03 Oct 2023
2024
- Purvaee, Evoking Pedagogic Lineages, Kiran Nadar Museum of Modern Art (KNMA), Noida, India
13 Sep 2024 to 15 Dec 2024
- Of Friendships: Krishna Reddy & His World, Experimenter, Ballygunge Place, Kolkata, India
20 Jul 2024 to 21 Sep 2024
- People, Places, Things, Vadehra art Gallery, New Delhi, India
06 May 2024 to 15 Jun 2024
- Past in Perspective Printmaking Practices in India, Akar Prakar, Kolkata, India
23 Aug 2024 to 28 Sep 2024
- Past in Perspective Printmaking Practices from Bengal, Akar Prakar, New Delhi, India
20 Jun 2024 to 27 Jul 2024
2025
- Banaras, Imagined Landscape, Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, India
08 Feb 2025 to 05 Apr 2025
1 / 5
DAG (Organiser). Changing Images, 2001 | Group Exhibition Catalogue | 00883502
Chronicled Highlights
6 entries
1904Born
Benode Behari Mukherjee
Benode Behari Mukherjee was born in 1904 in West Bengal, India.
Mukherjee, B.B. (Artist). Flowers. Tempera on monga silk, 1947 | Painting | FineArts | 00575145
In 2008, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Flowers (1947), offered in the Indian Modern & Contemporary Art by Osian's, which concluded on 18 March 2008 at New Delhi, achieving a sale price of ₹7,20,000 ($17,725). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.
Mukherjee, B.B. (Artist). Untitled. Tempera on cloth, 1948 | Painting | FineArts | 00337394
In 2019, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Untitled (1948), offered in the Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art by Sotheby's, which concluded on 18 March 2019 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹12,00,654 ($17,500). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.
Mukherjee, B.B. (Artist). Frying Fish. Oil on silk laid on board, c.1953 | Painting | FineArts | 00546187
In 2021, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Frying Fish (1953), offered in the South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art: Including Works by Benode Behari Mukherjee from the Mrinalini Mukherjee Foundation by Christie's, which concluded on 17 March 2021 at New York, achieving a sale price of ₹50,80,012 ($70,000). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.
Mukherjee, B.B. (Artist). Untitled. Paper collage on mountboard, 1957 | Graphic Art | FineArts | 00574532
In 2008, the artist achieved a new high in the auction market with the sale of Untitled (1957), offered in the Indian Modern & Contemporary Art: 100 Years of Wonder by Osian's, which concluded on 19 January 2008 at Mumbai, achieving a sale price of ₹3,60,000 ($9,142). This record marked a defining moment in the artist's market history, reflecting both the significance of the artwork and its reception within the broader art world.
1 / 2
Christie's (Auction House). Twentieth Century Indian Art. 02 June 1998, London | Auction Catalogue | EconomicsArt | 00861854
On 02 June 1998, made their debut in the Indian public auction market when Santhal Boys was presented as Lot in Twentieth Century Indian Art, conducted by Christie's in London, UK. This auction marked the artist's first recorded appearance in the public auction market, establishing the earliest chapter of their auction history.
Mukherjee, Benode Behari (Artist), G.M. Sheikh and R. Siva Kumar (Curator). Benodebehari Mukherjee (1904-1980) - Centenary Retrospective. New Delhi: Vadehra Art Gallery, 2006 | Solo Exhibition Catalogue | 00882472
In 2006, Benodebehari Mukherjee (1904-1980) Centenary Retrospective marked a major milestone in the exhibition history of Benode Behari Mukherjee, offering a retrospective survey of the artist's artistic production
Economics of Art
Currency
This section showcases auction lots that achieved record-high sale prices, tracked by the date each record was set based on the artist's historical auction data.
Record-high lots6
Public Auction Market (1987–2026) | Select Indicators
Currency
Annual Auction Sale Turnover
This indicator tracks the Total Annual Auction Sales value of Benode Behari Mukherjee’s artworks, beginning in 1987 through to the present.
It aggregates all sales across global auction houses into yearly totals.
Analysis reflected in the chart:
The turnover graph highlights periods of strong growth, moments of market correction, and resilience during downturns. Peaks often align with landmark works coming to public auction, while troughs may indicate reduced supply or weaker demand. Over time, the curve illustrates the overall trajectory of Benode Behari Mukherjee’s public auction market presence.
It aggregates all sales across global auction houses into yearly totals.
Analysis reflected in the chart:
The turnover graph highlights periods of strong growth, moments of market correction, and resilience during downturns. Peaks often align with landmark works coming to public auction, while troughs may indicate reduced supply or weaker demand. Over time, the curve illustrates the overall trajectory of Benode Behari Mukherjee’s public auction market presence.
Average Sale Price Per Lot
This measure calculates the Average Sale Price of all lots by Benode Behari Mukherjee sold each year.
It smooths out fluctuations caused by the quantity of works offered and focuses on the Average Sale Price level per artwork.
Analysis reflected in the chart:
Rising average sale prices indicate growing collector confidence and a stronger willingness to pay higher amounts per work. Assuming the mix of mediums remains relatively stable over time, the proportion of works on paper typically priced lower than works on canvas adds important context to understanding these market movements.
It smooths out fluctuations caused by the quantity of works offered and focuses on the Average Sale Price level per artwork.
Analysis reflected in the chart:
Rising average sale prices indicate growing collector confidence and a stronger willingness to pay higher amounts per work. Assuming the mix of mediums remains relatively stable over time, the proportion of works on paper typically priced lower than works on canvas adds important context to understanding these market movements.
Square Inch Rate Trend
The Square Inch Rate normalizes prices by the size of each artwork, showing the average sale value per square inch over time.
This allows fair comparisons between smaller works and larger canvases.
Analysis reflected in the chart:
The Square Inch Rate shown in the graph combines various medium types such as canvas, paper, board, and others. Historically, works on canvas and board have broadly commanded higher prices compared to works on paper.
This allows fair comparisons between smaller works and larger canvases.
Analysis reflected in the chart:
The Square Inch Rate shown in the graph combines various medium types such as canvas, paper, board, and others. Historically, works on canvas and board have broadly commanded higher prices compared to works on paper.
1974
- Awarded Padma Vibhushan, Government of India
1977
- Conferred Deshikottama (D. Litt) honoured by Visva Bharati, Santiniketan, India
1980
- His book 'Chitrakar' received the Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad Award
1981
- Rabindra Puraskar awarded posthumously to 'Chitrakar'
Research Centre
Posts 1
- Tuli Research Centre for India Studies presents All Living Souls - Expressed in the Modern and Contemporary Fine & Popular Indian Arts Curated by Neville Tuli As part of launching the 16th Research Category for India Studies - "The Animal-Human-Nature-Continuum" we present a fascinating exhibition of modern and contemporary Indian fine and popular arts and their expression of the ideas and forms related to the dialogue between animals and humans, and the larger cosmic and spiritual thoughts which abide therein. Please visit the Exhibition and see the artworks by modern and contemporary masters such as Rabindranath Tagore, D.P. Roy Chowdhury, M.F. Husain, J. Swaminathan, J. Sultan Ali, Somnath Hore, Ganesh Pyne, Manjit Bawa, K. Laxma Goud, Krishna Reddy, Jyoti Bhatt, Rekha Rodwittiya, Amit Ambalal, among others, along with vintage and rare prints from the pioneering Indian chromolithographic presses such as Chitrashala, Ravi Varma, Calcutta Art Studio, Chore Bagan & Kansaripara.
Related
25
Personalities
14
Institutions
6
Themes
4
