The journey of Bengal art and pat painting

Subject :History

Section :Art and Culture

Concept :

Bengal art is a journey of different perspectives, of creative expressions through the cultural and political lens, of personal and private trials and tribulations, pathos of the great Bengal famine, many incidents of devastation during Partition and more.
Artworks of Abanindranath Tagore, a pioneer of the Bengal School, Jamini Roy, Gaganendranath Tagore, Benode Bihari Mukherjee, Nandlal Bose, Hemen Majumdar, Paresh Maity, Anjolie Ela Menon, Arpita Singh and several others highlight the artist’s contribution to creating a comprehensive understanding of Indian art.

Pattachitra painting:

This form of art is closely related to the cult of Shri Jagannath and the temple traditions in Puri.
It is believed to have originated as early as the 12th century
Region:
- The art is based in the eastern Indian states of Odisha, West Bengal and parts of Bangladesh.
- People in Odisha practice it to this day.
Etymology:
- It is a Sanskrit word.
- When broken down into its two parts, Patta means cloth, and Chitra means picture.
- Hence, Pattachitra is a picture painted on a piece of cloth.
Painting process:
- Traditionally the painters are known as chitrakars.
- Chitrakars follow a traditional process of preparing the canvas.
- A gauze-like fine cotton cloth is coated with white stone powder and gum made out of tamarind seeds.
- This makes the canvass ready to accept the paint, made of natural colors.
- The gum of the kaitha tree is the chief ingredient, used as a base for making different pigments by adding available raw materials.
- Following completion of a painting, the canvas is held over a charcoal fire and lacquer is applied to the surface.
- In recent days Chitrakars have also painted on palm leaves and Tussar silk and have created wall hangings and showpieces.

Significant features:

Pattachitra is predominantly icon painting.
A floral border is a must around the paintings, and so is the use of natural colors.
The paintings are executed primarily in profile with elongated eyes.
Generally, there are no landscapes, perspectives, and distant views.
The dress style has Mughal influences.
Some of the popular themes of this religious art are:
The Badhia(a depiction of the temple of Jagannath);
Different “Vesas” of Shri Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra.
Krishna Lila (an enactment of Jagannath as Lord Krishna displaying his powers as a child);
Dasabatara Patti (the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu); and
Panchamukhi (a depiction of Lord Ganesh as a five-headed deity).