Jamini Prakash Gangooly, known widely as J. P. Gangooly, stands as a foundational luminary of Academic Realism in Bengal, occupying a unique space in early modern Indian art history. Born into the extended Tagore family, Gangooly was exposed to the vibrant cultural movements of Kolkata, yet his artistic direction diverged from the burgeoning nationalist Bengal School led by his relative, Abanindranath Tagore. Instead, Gangooly dedicated himself to mastering the techniques of European naturalism. His formal training under the British painter Charles Palmer was crucial, equipping him with an unparalleled mastery of oil medium and realist portraiture. However, Gangooly truly excelled in the genre of landscape painting. He skillfully integrated European techniques, particularly the handling of light, shadow, and atmosphere, with the distinctly Indian imagery of his homeland. His canvases frequently captured the ethereal beauty of the Bengal riverbanks, bathing ghats, and the distant Himalayan peaks, earning him the sobriquet "Painter of Padma" for his nearly one hundred oils depicting the sun setting over the river Padma. His dedication to capturing the shifting gradations of light led many to compare him to the great British master William Turner. Beyond his artistic output, Gangooly played a vital institutional role in shaping Calcutta’s art environment. He was a founding father of the influential Indian Society of Oriental Art (1907) and served as the Vice-Principal of the Government College of Art and Craft, Calcutta, from 1916 to 1928, succeeding Abanindranath Tagore. Through both his teaching and his celebrated, internationally exhibited works, Gangooly asserted the importance of technical excellence and academic rigor. He successfully bridged colonial-era academic instruction with a profound commitment to depicting the natural and emotional terrain of India, ensuring his legacy as a painter of powerful, luminous memory.