The religious world of premodern Bengal bears the hallmarks of successive eras of Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim rule, while also speaking to the ongoing...
March 5–26, 2026
Bengali Art and Culture: Living Traditions, Critical Junctures
Sarojini (detail), printed by Calcutta Art Studio, 1882. Lithograph with hand coloring. Charles Bain Hoyt Fund.
Sarojini (detail), printed by Calcutta Art Studio, 1882. Lithograph with hand coloring. Charles Bain Hoyt Fund.
The cosmopolitan city of Calcutta (today Kolkata) in the modern Indian state of West Bengal was an epicenter of Indian art, culture, politics in the 19th century. Social reform movements, anti-colonial organizing, and religious transformations occurred alongside experiments in theater, music, art and literature. This course, accompanying the exhibition “Divine Color: Hindu Prints from Modern Bengal,” immerses you in a dynamic Indian urban setting at the dawn of modern Indian history.
Ticket Packages
Purchase the discounted four-session course package. Please note that this course package is not available after the date of the first session.
Members $96
Nonmembers $120
For more information and to purchase tickets for individual sessions, select from the section below.
Upcoming Events
Lecture
Thursday, March 12, 2026
2:00 pm–3:30 pm
Like the painters and printers who created the color lithographs in the exhibition “Divine Color: Hindu Prints from Modern Bengal,” clay sculptors...
Lecture
Thursday, March 19, 2026
2:00 pm–3:30 pm
When lithography arrived in Calcutta (today Kolkata) in the early 19th century, Bengali artists eagerly adopted it and used it to make printed images...
Lecture
Thursday, March 26, 2026
2:00 pm–3:30 pm
In the early 20th century, Bengal witnessed a sophisticated art movement that sought to bridge the domains of the elite and subaltern. In 1905...
Ticket Information
To order tickets by phone, call 1-800-440-6975 ($6 processing fee applies); to order in person, visit any MFA ticket desk.
Bag Checks
All bags are subject to inspection by Museum staff. Backpacks, large bags, all liquids including hand sanitizer and sunscreen, and outside food or drink are not permitted. Exceptions are made for medical or religious needs. All bags are strongly discouraged, and any bags larger than 11” x 15” must be checked in the Coat Room upon entry. Read our full bag check policy.