Calcutta does not inherit the artistic virtues or finesse of the ancient cities like Mathura, Delhi, Agra or Vishnupur which flourished in the Middle Ages.
When Calcutta was born by merging the three villages of Sutanuti, Kolikata and Gobindopur, the place was famous for being the trade centre of the Basaks and the Seths. Moreover, 'Kalikshetra' which was situated in Gobindopur, was an important pilgrimage centre which attracted thousands of devout pilgrims.
Calcutta's status was heightened as it became the chief commercial centre of the British East India Company. The city was embellished - ports, residential buildings and fortresses were made. On the western flank of Gol Dighi, the British built a fort in 1702. The Government House built inside the fort, was the first specimen of European architecture in Calcutta. Few days later, the Armenians, another business community in Calcutta, constructed a church in 1724. In 1730, the native zamindar Gobindoram Mitra built the 'Nabaratna (nine jewels) Temple' which was taller than the Octarloni Monument. It was built in Chitpur. The temple at Kalighat was built much later, in the year 1809.
George Lamburt and Samuel Scott were probably the first British artistes who made exquisite paintings of Calcutta. Around 1730, they made beautiful oil-paintings of the old Fort William and a fleet of ships on the river Hooghly. These paintings are of immense historical value aswell. However, paintings in Calcutta started to blossom from the last phase of the eighteenth century. The notable artistes in those days were Tilly Kettle, William Hozes, William Daniel Aiskol etc. Their paintings can be broadly classified into three categories. In the first category falls the oil paintings on canvas. The second category comprises of the paintings on ivory with water colour as the base whereas the third one included those paintings done on paper in the typical British manner with the device of water colour.
In those days several artistes won fame and money by making oil-paintings. Some of the notable artistes were Tilly Kittle, John Joffany, Arthur Davis, Thomas Hickey, Fransisco Renaldi, Robert Home, William Archer etc. John Joffany was the most distinguished artiste among them. He had earned sufficient fame and recognition in England. But he came to India for becoming rich expeditiously. He was fortunate to get partners like Warner Hastings and Claud Martin. Many of his famous paintings have been preserved in the Victoria Memorial. Joffany's spectacular painting 'The Last Supper of Christ' is being preserved in the glorious St. George Church. Ozius Humphrey and some of his contemporaries became famous by making miniature paintings with the application of water colour on ivory. George Chinery was the most distinguished artiste in this mode of paintings. It was Chinery who helped Gopinath Thakur of Pathuriaghata in the beginning of the 19th century to collect some exquisite European paintings.
Another mode of painting was 'engraving art' which saw some of its greatest exponents in William Hozes, Thomas and William Daniel, Balthazar Solvins, Colesworthy Grant, William Simpson etc. These artistes have made several lively paintings of the 18th and 19th century Calcutta and its contemporary life style. Besides these professionals, some precious paintings of the amateurs like Charles Doyeli, William Princep, Madam Belanaus etc. also deserve mention. Some of these amateur artistes have used their paintings to ridicule the opulent and flamboyant life-styles of the British folks in contemporary Calcutta.
From the second half of the 15th century to the middle of the 19th century, the influence of the Italian Renaissance was tremendously felt in Europe. Since the foundation of the Royal Academy of Art in England in 1768, its ideals and principles were strictly followed by all artistes. Their ideal was best manifested in the language of Leonarde Da Vinci who said that a painting of any object should be like its reflected image on a mirror. This pattern or mode of painting was popularized in Calcutta by the British painters. From the initial stage of the 19th century, the custom of making portraits of family members among the moneyed classes became very popular. Even the educated and refined Bengali middle class people started collecting specimens of European paintings. It was also a status symbol. Gradually, Calcutta became an ardent admirer of European art.