Varanasi exhibition showcases art inspired by holy city

Varanasi:  From European artists to Indian photographers, painters and sculptors, the city of Varanasi has been a muse to countless artists. The holy city's tryst with art and artists is being showcased in an ongoing exhibition here.

The multi-artist exhibition titled 'Eternal Banaras' has been organised by the Ministry of Textiles and art gallery DAG.

"Thomas Daniell and William Daniell, James Princep and John Dalrymple were among the earliest European artists to arrive here, along with painters such as Julian Barrow and Alexander Scott.

"Indian artists of the realistic and modern tradition followed soon after, finding the bustling Ganga 'ghats' (steps) a source of endless renewal in their practice," DAG told IANS via e-mail.

Among the artists who kept returning to the city to paint are Ram Kumar and Manu Parekh, whose works are on display at the exhibition, along with those of L.M. Sen, L.N. Taskar, Radhacharan Bagchi, Ramendranath Chakravorty and M.F. Husain.

Sculptors Latika Katt and Madan Lal, both based in Varanasi, also have their works on display.

In the realm of photography, rare images and landscapes from studios such as Samuel Bourne and lensmen Raghu Rai, and Nemai Ghosh -- who photographed the late Satyajit Ray while the latter was filming on the steps of the Ganga here -- are on display.

From colonial to contemporary, 'Eternal Banaras' charts how this ancient city has been visualised in art.

Opened by Varanasi MP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this year, the exhibition is open for public viewing at the Craft Museum here till March 31, 2020.