Page 4 - Art and Crafts of Bangladesh

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PAINTING
a. Ancient and Mediaeval Age
Faizul Azim

The art of painting has been practiced in Bengal from ancient times. Fine arts were
practiced in various media and different methods in this region from the ancient
historical period according to the beliefs, tastes and demands of the patrons of art.
The evolution and rise and fall of the artistic styles were generally related to the
prosperity or impoverishment of the condition of their main patrons as religious,
social and political forces.
According to the tradition of Bengal, or for that matter, of ancient India, painters were
called patikar, patidar, patua or poto, etc. The earliest mention of the patua can be
found in ancient Sanskrit literature in the 6th century BC. Avijnyan Shakuntala,
Malabikagnimitram, Mudraraksasha and other books provide extensive descriptions
of the patuas. In Buddhist and Jaina literature painters were called Shaubhik or
Shaubhanik. In the 4th century BC in the Ashtaddhayi of Panini there is mention of
the royal artist and village artist, in other words, court artists and folk artists. In India
throughout the ages, under Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim or English rule, change in the
characteristics of art was related to the rise and fall of the forces connected with it. 1
Geographical and Historical Background
Human civilization originated and developed in the Indus valley in India about twenty
seven hundred years before the birth of Christ. It is prevalently held that this
civilization ended in approximately 1700 BC. It is to be mentioned that it was around
this time that the Aryans began to arrive in India. During the next thousand years,
slowly the Indian culture took its own particular form through conflict and integration
between the Aryan culture coming from outside and the local Austric and Dravidian
culture. This variegated group of people created diversity in the society, language,
culture and artistic consciousness of Indian civilization.
Bangladesh is the largest delta in the world. The situation of powerful rivers like the
Ganges, Meghna, Brahmaputra decided the nature of the landforms of this region. The
furious, violently destructive form of the rivers and the endless supply of fertile silt
control the environment of this area and the fortunes of the people living here.
Bengal’s fertile land, temperate climate and the tales of its wealth and treasures spread
everywhere and inspired people from ancient times to come from outside and settle and