Noya Village Patas (West Bengal)

Text on Noya village patas

Chaukash patas (square or rectangular paintings)
Jarano patas (scroll paintings)
Paintings in Kalighat style
Bihari Santali patas

Chaukash patas (square or rectangular paintings)

	Gurupada Chitrakar Noya village, West Bengal Mahishasuramardini (Durga as Slayer of the Demon Mahisha) 2000s water-based paint on paper 15" x 11" The Devi-Mahatyam, or Candi, lauds the exploits of the Supreme Goddess. The second episode tells the story of how the buffalo demon Mahisha usurped the position of the gods, who begged the Goddess to save them from this plight. After fierce battle, Durga ultimately slew the demon and returned the gods to their heavenly thrones. In this version, the eight-armed goddess grasps Mahisha. Her vehicle, the lion, assaults the demon while Durga pierces him with a spear. In this manifestation she is known as Mahishasura mardini, or she who slays the demon Mahisha.

	Gurupada Chitrakar Noya village, West Bengal Krishna and Radha 2000s water-based paint on paper 15" x 11" Book Ten of the Srimad Bhagavata Purana, a medieval mythological and devotional text, tells the story of the youth of Krishna in the village of Vrindavan. The blue-skinned flute-playing Krishna stole the hearts of the cowherd girls of Vrindavan. Later poets identified his most beloved sweetheart as Radha.

	Gurupada Chitrakar Noya village, West Bengal Manasa (Snake Goddess) 2000s water-based paint on paper 15" x 11" Manasa is a local folk goddess in rural West Bengal. She can be invoked to provide a remedy against snakebite or to inflict snakebite on one's enemies.

	Rupban Chitrakar Noya village, West Bengal Kolkata Tram 2000s water-based paint on paper 11" x 14" In this painting, a village artist gives her humorous impression of crowded public transportation in the big city.

	Prabir Chitrakar Noya village, West Bengal Ganesha 2000s water-based paint on paper 15" x 12" The elephant-headed Ganesh is the god of auspicious beginnings. Here he sits nobly, holding implements (discuss, conch, and mace) in three of his hands. In the fourth, he undoubtedly clutches a sweet, of which he is notoriously fond. His vehicle, the rat, stands by his right foot.

Jarano patas (scroll paintings)

	Shyamsundar Chitrakar Noya village, West Bengal Village Story with Devotion to Shiva 2000s water-based paint on cloth scroll ca. 9" wide x 55" long

	Shyamsundar Chitrakar Noya village, West Bengal Polemic against the Practice of Dowry 2000s water-based paint on cloth scroll ca. 9" wide x 55" long

Paintings in Kalighat style

	Gurupada Chitrakar Noya village, West Bengal Cat Eating a Prawn (pata in Kalighat style) 2000s water-based paint on paper 11" x 10" Collection of Heather Witmer This is a modern version of a common theme from 19th century Kalighat paintings, which can be interpreted as a critique of a false monk who renounces the world but cannot control his eating or his lustful desires.

	Prabir Chitrakar Noya village, West Bengal Barber Cleaining a Woman's Ear (pata in Kalighat style) 2000s water-based paint on paper 16" x 12" This is a modern version of a theme from 19th century Kalighat paintings that comments on the activities of fashionable upper-class women, as well as on their need to spend time with servants while their husbands spend time with their mistresses.

	Prabir Chitrakar Noya village, West Bengal Man and Woman Playing Music (pata in Kalighat style) 2000s water-based paint on paper 16" x 12" This is a modern variation on the theme of individuals playing music from 19th century Kalighat paintings. A woman playing an instrument could represent a courtesan or an actress. But such a painting could also refer to the practice by late 19th century photographers in Bengal of posing individuals with instruments to add refinement to the sitter and interest to the composition.

Prabir Chitrakar
Noya village, West Bengal
Woman with Peacock (pata in Kalighat style)
2000s
water-based paint on paper
16" x 12"

This is a modern version of a theme from 19th century Kalighat paintings. It symbolizes a woman longing for the return of her lover. These photos of the front and reverse of this painting show that the artist has glued the paper onto a piece of old cloth for added strength.

Bihari Santali patas

	Artist unknown West Bengal Creation (Santal pata) 2000s water-based paint on paper ca. 14” x 9” glued to paper 15” x 10" The story of the creation of the world, according to Santal mythology.

	Artist unknown West Bengal Village Scene (Santal pata) 2000s water-based paint on paper ca. 14” x 9” glued to paper 15” x 10" Scene in a Santal village.

	Rupban Chitrakar Noya village, West Bengal Tribal Villagers 2000s water-based paint on paper 14" x 9" Collection of Pat Simpson and John Elder An example of a painting of tribal villagers by a Noya village painter. These paintings sometimes have allusions to the torments in hell for bad behavior.