| A R T F R O M A S I A
Folk Painting from India
Patua Paintings and Scrolls by the Chitrakars
of West Bengal |
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Bengali artist Gurupada Chitrakar with several of his story scrolls in Santa Fe, July, 2006
(Photograph © Anthony Hart Fisher 2006).
The contemporary scrolls and paintings of Gurupada and Montu Chitrakar come from the distinct patachitra scroll tradition in the state of West Bengal. The patachitra or patua scrolls may portray stories from the great Hindu epics, such as the Ramayana, and Sufi traditions which are also sung frame by frame. The scrolls by the young painters Gurupada and Montu Chitrakar venture even further into current affairs, history and other subjects outside of the traditional canon.
Their subjects include not only the Ramayana but the Tsunami, the September 11th attacks, the Kashmir earthquake, the Gujarat earthquake and bloody Hindu/Muslim religious riots, and incongruously even the story of the French Revolution. For examples of some recent scrolls by various artists, depicting the December 2004 tsunami, go to our Art from the Tsunami gallery.
These scrolls are painted with vegetable dyes fixed with a vegetable gum on paper. The panels are sewn together and fabric from old saris is glued to the back to strengthen the scroll. Individual paintings by Montu Chitrakar may resemble single panels from these same scroll stories, or independent images of wild animals and scenes from his imagination.
Bengali artist Montu Chitrakar
(photo courtesy of Minhazz Majumdar).
Bengali artist Gurupada Chitrakar sings the story of September 11th, 2001,
in Santa Fe, July, 2006
(Photograph © Anthony Hart Fisher 2006).
Gurupada Chitrakar sings the story of the 2004 Tsunami, in Santa Fe, July, 2011
(Photograph © Anthony Hart Fisher 2011).
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Bengali artist Rupban Chitrakar with her story scroll which tells the story of the Titanic, based loosely on the movie. Santa Fe, 2007
(Photograph © Anthony Hart Fisher 2007).
Both Montu and Gurupada Chitrakar are featured in the recent exhibit Village of Painters: Narrative Scrolls from West Bengal at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe and the accompanying catalog by Frank Korom. You may order the book from us below:
Village of Painters:
Narrative Scrolls from West Bengal
The Patuas of West Bengal are a traditional artisan caste specializing in the production of painted narrative scrolls and the performance of songs to accompany their unrolling. Traditionally, the scroll painters wander from village to village, seeking patronage by singing their own compositions while unraveling painted scrolls on sacred and secular themes.
FrankJ. Korom
Museum of New Mexico Press, Santa Fe 2006
120 pages
$34.00 (Paper)
I See the Promised Land:
ALife of Martin LutherKing, Jr.
Arthur Flowers
Manu Chitrakar
Groundwood Books, Toronto, Berkeley 2010
156 pages
$16.95 (Hardcover)
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Tiger and Antelopes
(#MCH0408)
Montu Chitrakar - West Bengal, India
2004
Water-based paint on paper
(10" h. x 13 1/4" w. )
$125 |
Worshipping the Shiva Linga
(#MCH0308)
Montu Chitrakar - West Bengal, India
Late 20th cent.
Water-based paint on paper
(11" h. x 15" w. )
$125 |
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The Snake Goddess Manasa (#MCH0303)
Montu Chitrakar - West Bengal, India
Late 20th cent.
Water-based paint on paper
(15" h. x 11" w. )
$125 |
Krishna and Gopi (#MCH0402)
Montu Chitrakar - West Bengal, India
Late 20th cent.
Water-based paint on paper
(14" h. x 11" w. )
$95 |
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Goddess (#MCH0403)
Montu Chitrakar - West Bengal, India
Late 20th cent.
Water-based paint on paper
(14" h. x 11" w. )
$95 |
Krishna and Gopi (#MCH0401)
Unknown artist - West Bengal, India
Late 20th cent.
Water-based paint on paper
(14" h. x 11" w. )
$95 |
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Lakshmi (#MCH0405)
Montu Chitrakar - West Bengal, India
Late 20th cent.
Water-based paint on paper
(14" h. x 11" w. )
$95 |
Scene from Ramayana (#MCH0313)
Attributed to Montu Chitrakar - West Bengal, India
Late 20th cent.
Water-based paint on paper
(6 3/4" h. x 5" w. )
$42 |
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The Snake Goddess Manasa (#MCH0314)
Montu Chitrakar - West Bengal, India
Late 20th cent.
Water-based paint on paper
(7" h. x 5 1/2" w. )
$42 |
Man on Tiger (#MCH0404)
Montu Chitrakar - West Bengal, India
Late 20th cent.
Water-based paint on paper
(14" h. x 11" w. )
$95 |
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Ganesha (#MCH0316)
Montu Chitrakar - West Bengal, India
Late 20th cent.
Water-based paint on paper
(7 1/2" h. x 5 1/2" w. )
$48 |
Deer Hunters (#MCH0317)
Montu Chitrakar - West Bengal, India
Late 20th cent.
Water-based paint on paper
(7" h. x 5 1/2" w. )
$42 |
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Two Tigers with Antelopes
Montu Chitrakar - West Bengal, India
2004
Water-based paint on paper
(11" h. x 14" w. )
$95 |
Tiger with Antelopes
Montu Chitrakar - West Bengal, India
2004
Water-based paint on paper
(15" h. x 11" w. )
$125 |
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Krishna and Woman
Unknown artist - West Bengal, India
c.2000
Water-based paint on paper
(28" h. x 22" w. )
$175 |
Two Lions and Antelope (#GCH0609)
Gurupada Chitrakar - West Bengal, India
c.2005
Water-based paint on paper
(11" h. x 14" w. )
$95 |
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Two Tigers Hunting (#GCH0606)
Gurupada Chitrakar- West Bengal, India
c.2005
Water-based paint on paper
(13" h. x 28"" w. )
$160 |
Lions in the Savannah (#GCH0607)
Gurupada Chitrakar- West Bengal, India
c.2005
Water-based paint on paper
(13" h. x 28" w. )
$160 |
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Elephant and Rhinos (#GCH0611)
Gurupada Chitrakar- West Bengal, India
c.2005
Water-based paint on paper
(11" h. x 14" w. )
$95 |
Two Elephants (#GCH0610)
Gurupada Chitrakar- West Bengal, India
c.2005
Water-based paint on paper
(11" h. x 14" w. )
$95 |
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Family of Elephants (#GCH0608)
Gurupada Chitrakar- West Bengal, India
c.2005
Water-based paint on paper
(13" h. x 28" w. )
$160 |
Woman Carrying Water (#ANCH0601)
Anak Chitrakar - West Bengal, India
c.2005
Water-based paint on paper
(14" h. x 7 1/4" w. )
$95 |
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Tiger with Antelope (#MCH0409)
Montu Chitrakar - West Bengal, India
c.2004
Water-based paint on paper
(11" h. x 15" w. )
$125 |
Krishna and Manasa (#GCH0705)
Gurupada Chitrakar- West Bengal, India
c.2007
Water-based paint on paper
(22" h. x 28" w. )
$195
SOLD 5/2013 |
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Fightimg Lions (#GCH0706)
Gurupada Chitrakar- West Bengal, India
c.2007
Water-based paint on paper
(14 1/2" h. x 21 1/2" w. )
$160 |
Big Tiger and Antelopes (#GCH0707)
Gurupada Chitrakar - West Bengal, India
c.2007
Water-based paint on paper
(14" h. x 11" w. )
$95 |
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Orange Tiger with Four Antelopes (#GCH0708)
Gurupada Chitrakar - West Bengal, India
c.2007
Water-based paint on paper
(11" h. x 15" w. )
$125
Yellow Tiger with Four Antelopes (#GCH0709)
Gurupada Chitrakar - West Bengal, India
c.2007
Water-based paint on paper
(11" h. x 15" w. )
$125 |
Kalighat Cat with Shrimp and Fish (#GCH0710)
Gurupada Chitrakar - West Bengal, India
c.2007
Water-based paint on paper
(15" h. x 11" w. )
$135 |
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Kalighat Krishna and Gopi (#GCH0711)
Gurupada Chitrakar - West Bengal, India
c.2007
Water-based paint on paper
(17 1/2" h. x 12 1/2" w. )
$160 |
Kalighat Lovers (#GCH0712)
Gurupada Chitrakar - West Bengal, India
c.2007
Water-based paint on paper
(17 1/2" h. x 12 1/2" w. )
$160 |
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Kalighat Woman with Cat (#GCH0713)
Gurupada Chitrakar - West Bengal, India
c.2007
Water-based paint on paper
(17 1/2" h. x 12 1/2" w. )
$160 |
Kalighat Durga in Battle (#GCH0714)
Gurupada Chitrakar - West Bengal, India
c.2007
Water-based paint on paper
(17 1/2" h. x 12 1/2" w. )
$160 |
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Lord Krishna and the Gopis (#GCH1101)
Gurupada Chitrakar- West Bengal, India
c.2010
Water-based paint on paper
(30" h. x 22" w. )
$375 |
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