“He was an understanding and compassionate teacher,” is the unanimous statement from some of the well-known artists, such as K. Muralidharan, C. Douglas and Narendra Babu, who were students of sculptor and painter S. Dhanapal (1909 - 2000), or studied at the Government School of Arts and Crafts, (now the College of Fine Arts) , when he was the Principal. Each one talks about how passionately he used to nurture every student’s talent. Some of them even staying in his house.
Artist and art director P. Krishnamoorthy and acclaimed artists late K.M. Adimoolam and late Veera Santhanam would fondly speak about staying with Dhanapal sir and being constantly guided by him.
Former Principal and earlier a student of the Government School of Arts and Crafts, Alphonso Doss says, “Dhanapal was quite benevolent and easily approachable. He used to discuss with his students the works of many masters; he was an inspiration to many”. Sculptor Vijayavelu says that he not only moulded him into a good artist but took interest in his personal life too. “Art, Dhanapal and devotion to God are responsible for what I am today,” he adds.
Born in Mylapore and living very close to the Kapaleeswarar temple, as a young boy Dhanapal would go there often; the vahanas fascinated him. He would stand for hours and watch the craftsmen working on them. He also loved watching the potters at work on the banks of the temple tank.
“Observing my interest in drawing, Tamil scholar Seeni Venkataswami, the principal of my school, advised me to join the School of Arts,” wrote Dhanapal. After some private training, he was able to pass the tough entrance test and join the institution.
When Roy Choudhury became the Principal of the School of Arts it became a true art institution, instead of producing metal crafts and carpentry work for the British; till then art students were only copying from books. He introduced drawing from live models. He used to appreciate Dhanapal’s drawings of the scenes of Moor Market and the animals in the zoo. Roy Choudhury, a sculptor of renown — the creator of the Statue of Labour and Mahatama Gandhi on the Marina — was oriented more towards the western style of art. Though watching and helping him exposed Dhanapal to Western art, he was drawn to the Bengal School of painting, particularly that of Nandalal Bose. But when he drew or painted, his style inclined closer to the South Indian temple murals such as Thanjavur and Chittannavasal. He established a style of his own. Looking at his enthusiasm, Roy Choudhury encouraged him to take up sculpture.
After Roy Choudhury, when K.C.S. Panikkar became the Principal, Dhanapal, first as a student and later as a teacher, became close to him and used to discuss his work with him. Panikker made him the head of sculpture department in 1957, which was till then almost non-functional. According to artist Rm Palaniappan, “He started the separate model drawing section.” Dhanapal was almost a self-taught sculptor. He was an expert in portrait sculpture; many leaders such as Kamaraj, President S. Radhakrishnan and E.V.R. have patiently posed for him. But when he decided to do the portrait of Mahatma Gandhi, he had only a photograph which he used to keep looking at, at all times of the day and the final result was a spitting image of Gandhiji in prayer; while looking at it if his son Devadas Gandhi was moved to tears, Rajaji was believed to have become emotional and said that he could see the real Gandhi in the image. He was also closely associated with many poets and writers; his portrait of poet Bharathidasan is quite popular.
One of the earliest artists that Indian modern art could be proud of, Dhanapal’s figurative sculptures drew from Indian tradition and sensibilities, be it his ‘Mother and Child’, ‘Avvaiyar’, ‘Christ’ or many of his other creations. He was quite fascinated by Pallava sculptures. To quote him: “it probably started with the bronze icons my mother kept in our pooja room.I did not find tradition and modernity as two different kinds of perceptions opposed to each other…. I perceive a oneness and continuity. I started with Pallava sculpture, absorbed Rodin and came to Moore and I felt no discontinuity at boundaries”. Consider the two versions of his ‘Mother and Child’. He also said, “you can see with the mind and work with the mind”.
Sculptor Nandagopal used to say that Dhanapal introduced line in sculpture. This aspect is quite evident in his abstract expressions. According to Dhanapal’s son artist Ravi, “He and his contemporaries and many of his students, who became famous in their own right, were honest in their work; their personal quality reflected in their creations as well”. Even after retirement, Dhanapal never stopped working. He was always willing to teach with enthusiasm anyone, a youngster or a housewife, who approached him.
A plant-lover, he used to roam about the School of Arts’ campus admiring its rich flora. The Japanese art of bonsai held a special attraction for him. He grew a variety of trees, some of them arranged in the verandah outside the Principal’s room and also at his home; for him it was no less important than sculpting.
Another dimension of this veteran artist was as a classical dancer. Even as a youngster he was interested in music.
To earn money to attend concerts, he and his friends would paint advertisements on walls through the night. When Dhanapal happened to attend a dance performance of the celebrated Udayshankar and, later of Ram Gopal, he got hooked to dance.
Realising that men could also take up dancing, he went to Kattumannarkoil Muthuswami Nattuvanar to learn. His interest in dance became almost an obsession and he joined as the third member of the Nataraj-Shankuntala team and was introduced as ‘Chittiram Dhanapal’. He played important roles in their productions and was responsible for arranging the jewellery, costumes and stage properties.
A chance meeting with Kathakali Kumar and Kathak Bolonath led him to learn the dance forms from them. He became popular for his ‘Fisherman’ dance, inspired by the movement of the waves and the swaying boats. Its popularity made it a must-feature in all Government functions. After leaving Nataraj-Shakuntala, ‘Jesus Christ’, ‘Buddhar’ and ‘Sivatandavam’ by his group were the most appreciated pieces; some of the special effects he had introduced in them were much talked about. “It was from him that I learnt about classical dance; till then I was quite ignorant about it,” says Prof. Alphonso Doss.
Dhanapal’s birth centenary is being celebrated by various individuals and organisations with exhibitions including at the Lalit Kala Akademi.
