Sen’s academic learning of art started at the Government College of Art and Craft, Calcutta, the first British art school in Asia set up in 1869. Sen was deeply impressed by the Modern Art Movement in France since 1870. This sparked his big dream to go to France by any means.
When India was partitioned 1947 to create Pakistan, a new country for Muslims, about 20 million people of Bengal and Punjab were displaced and brutally victimized. Sen’s wealthy, literate family had huge landed property in erstwhile East Bengal, the present Bangladesh, which was carved out to be East Pakistan for Muslims. So for being Hindus Sen’s family was overnight evicted from their home. Without taking any possessions, they fled for their lives amidst people warring over religion, and so became squatted refugees in West Bengal.