Lost for a century: Blind Indian painter's scroll resurfaces after 100 years

A remarkable discovery has taken place in Kolkata, as a 44-foot-long Japanese-style handscroll, painted by the renowned Indian blind artist, Benodebehari Mukherjee nearly a century ago, has resurfaced and made its debut in the city of his birth.

Mukherjee, born in 1904, was blind in one eye and severely myopic in the other, eventually losing his sight completely at the age of 53.

Despite this, he left an indelible mark as a painter, sculptor, and muralist, and became a defining figure in 20th Century Indian modern art, reported the BBC.

Everything about the scroll

This captivating handscroll, measuring a mere six inches in width, bears the title "Scenes from Santiniketan" and is the longest scroll ever created by the artist.

In July, it will embark on a journey to Santiniketan, the prestigious university town founded by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore a century ago, where Mukherjee himself had studied and later taught.

The scroll, which changed hands multiple times before finding its way to Kolkata, is now proudly on display, offering a glimpse into Mukherjee's artistic vision and the landscapes of Santiniketan.

At the age of 20, Mukherjee skillfully crafted this captivating scroll using ink and watercolours on meticulously layered sheets of paper.

The scroll's initial frame features a figure sitting under a tree, believed to represent the artist himself, taking viewers on a journey through the enchanting Santiniketan.

As one moves from right to left along the scroll, a captivating voyage unfolds, depicting a passage through time and space. Mukherjee's masterful brushstrokes transport the viewer into a forest of sal trees, with the colors transitioning from black ink to touches of green that mirror the changing seasons.

The scroll comes alive with 22 human figures, 22 cattle, three chickens, one dog, and one bird. Mukherjee skillfully utilises stretches of emptiness to depict the vastness of land and sky.

Within the scroll, one can sense the artist's solitude and a subtle expression of isolation, depicting a state of his life without self-pity or bitterness, as noted by leading art historian Siva Kumar.

Prior to this astounding discovery, Mukherjee's longest-known work was a depiction of the khoai, a laterite soil terrain near Santiniketan, measuring just over 10 feet in length.

Notably, Mukherjee's teacher at Santiniketan was the esteemed artist Nandalal Bose, who headed the art school known as Kala Bhavan. Bose had initially expressed concern about Mukherjee's visual impairment to Tagore, but the poet and philosopher replied, "Is he sincere? Is he interested? Then let him be."

Mukherjee's fascination with the scroll format may have been influenced by Tagore and Bose, who had returned from their visit to Japan with prints of handscrolls. The scroll format offered unique possibilities, allowing the passage oftime to be depicted in a fluid and dynamic manner.

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Where did the scroll disappear?

After being acquired by Rakesh Sahni, the owner of Gallery Rasa in Kolkata, the handscroll finally resurfaced in 2017 from a collector. However, due to the unforeseen challenges posed by the pandemic, its public exhibition was delayed by three years.

Alongside the unveiling of this remarkable handscroll, the Kolkata exhibition also features reproductions of Mukherjee's other notable scrolls, including "The Khoai," "Village Scenes," and "Scenes in Jungle." Notably, "Scenes in Jungle" is painted on the semi-circular pith of a banana tree and is currently housed in the prestigious Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

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