Pastoral Dream

Shown in public for the first time recently, a scroll painting by Benode Behari Mukherjee celebrates scenes from rural Santiniketan

- Dola Mitra

Where should you witness the brilliance of Benode Behari Mukherjee's just-discovered, 44-foot-long scroll painting? In the pale, yellow-orange glow of neon spotlights in a gallery in Kolkata? Or in the soft, golden-green sunlight filtering in through foliage that reflects off skylights in another gallery, just after a spell of rain, in idyllic Santiniketan?

It's a tough decision because Mukherjee's art, like nature itself, is a different experience at different times of day, and the scroll, dating back to nearly a hundred years ago, reveals a distinct hue depending on when or where you see it. Fortunately, since early this year, it has been on display in galleries both in Kolkata and in Santiniketan.