he Department of Painting came into existence in 2007, duly named and approved by the HRD Ministry, Government of India, University Grants Commission of India along with Executive Council and Academic Council of Jamia Millia Islamia University.
This Department was one of the branches of Department of Fine Arts which was founded in 1951 by Mr. Abul Kalam, who laid the foundation of this institution as Art Institute. In 1967, Art Institute became the Department of Art and Craft Education. In 1980-1981, this institution became the Department of Fine Arts and Art Education and started the professional course of four years BFA degree. In 1983 MFA was also started.

The students are groomed to develop a thought that any form in nature is not a subject but merely an initial impetus for ideas.
The program is designed to sharpen artistic, intellectual and creative sensibilities. Students are groomed to become professional practicing artist / painters. When it comes to artistic, intellectual and creative skill very vast area opens for the student. Today, even industries are coming up with illustration and animation requirements. There are many branch of the above said two disciplines where the requirement for recruitment comes from all across the world.
The newly formulated credit based semester system provides the student an opportunity to not only continuously practice and assess his / her work but also simultaneously to update his / her knowledge towards his / her art practice to meet the challenges of contemporary art practices in India and rest of the world.
The new semester system based on credits / grades is to make the course of study compatible with the course being conducted at other Universities and Institutes in India and abroad through an objective assessment of the body of work qualitatively as well as quantitatively.
The system enhances the possibilities of learning in related cross / inter-disciplinary fields of knowledge and thereby makes the process of learning / teaching more open. Also. this system provides students an exposure to other related art practices which in turn helps them to keep them updated towards the present art practice and its developments.