Marking 175 years of artistic legacy this year, the Government College of Fine Arts at Egmore in Chennai is one of India’s oldest art institutions and a cradle of modern Indian art. Established in 1850, it has shaped generations of artists who influenced the cultural identity of Tamil Nadu and beyond. From pioneering art education in colonial India to nurturing revolutionary movements in modern art, the institution’s journey mirrors the evolution of art itself.
Archival reports in The Hindu trace the origins of the college to the mid-19th Century. It began as the Madras School of Arts, founded by Alexander Hunter, a military surgeon. It was located on Popham’s Broadway and functioned as a privately run school for two years, with a curriculum designed to train artisans to meet the needs of the British administration.
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