E. B. (Ernest Binfield) Havell

Born in 1861, E. B. Havell was an English arts administrator, art historian, and writer who became closely associated with the study of Indian art. He served as principal of the Government School of Art in Calcutta from 1896 to 1905, where he pushed for a deeper appreciation of Indian artistic traditions at a time when European academic standards often dominated art education.

Havell is remembered for arguing that Indian painting, sculpture, and architecture should be understood on their own terms rather than judged by Western models alone. That view made him an important figure in the cultural debates of his time, and his work influenced artists and thinkers connected with the Bengal art movement.

He also wrote a number of books on Indian art and architecture, helping bring the subject to a wider English-speaking audience. Although some of his ideas reflect the period in which he lived, his efforts were part of a larger shift toward taking Indian art seriously as a rich and distinctive tradition. He died in 1934.