What do you know about an agricultural farm?

The first set of Let's Start Art sessions for the month of August started with this question. Around 130 students from 5 Govt. Primary Schools in Varanasi attended the workshops. 

All the students had their own element of fascination from the farms. Some of the students were fascinated by the scarecrows, while others couldn't get over the tube wells, sowing, and techniques of planting rice. It was surprising that the students, who have never been introduced to the methods of crop production and management, have observed such details on their own. 

Mayank is a student of class- 3rd at Govt. Primary School, Orderly Bazaar. He's a silent student in class but his work reflects his observation. Not just the stories, but also the diagrams from the science book, he confidently draws all these in his drawing book and this has definitely made learning easier for him.

Art has always been the mirror of society. There are major historical incidents that are identified through the art of those times. Although art was supposed to exist only to please and flatter the establishment, there were always public artworks that reflected the public history, their beliefs, and part of evolving culture.

Second time in a row, we witnessed the awe followed by admiration. In our latest sessions with kids studying at primary schools run by the government in Varanasi, we asked the kids to draw their pictures. 
Similar to our last session, when kids finished, teachers were competing amongst themselves to find out whose students had made the best drawing. Earlier, they were unsure whether anyone would draw. However, they were happy, in fact very happy to be wrong.

Riveting and full of splendor, this painting, part of Tantric series, was painted during the Akbar Period of mid 16th century. 

At Government Museum and Art Gallery, Chandigarh, this painting is part of 7 paintings series, the Devi Mahatmya series.



In Hamzanama, there is an inscription, which says, "When the demon threw Prince Nur-ud-Dahr into the sea, St. Elias the prophet took him out of the water.Nur-ud-Dahr wound up on an island". 

Imagination soared and with unbounded creativity, the painter draws the painting based on the text innovatively. Prophet appears to be able to walk on the sea, sea appears to be full of waves and the emotions on the faces immaclate to the situation. 

Displayed at The British Museum, London, this beautiful work was created in the 16th century India, during the reign of Akbar.

Mir Sayyid Ali, the master painter at the court of Mughal Emperor Akbar painted this vibrant and imaginative painting.
Displayed at The Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna, this painting dates back to 16th century India.

"It has been difficult to reach here. But, I have managed. now, I want to continue and find a new technique in painting".
Beaming with confidence, and an infectious hope in eyes, Narayan Shah, a first-year student at College of Arts and Craft, Patna shares his journey.

This folio from a dispersed Bhagavata Purana series, is a result of deep understanding of the subject by the painter, depicting his unique interpretation of the demon Trinavarta.
Exhibited at Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, Smithsonian Institution, this painting was done in second quarter of sixteenth century.

Hiral and Abhishek bought a painting from SHURUA(R)T's website for their house in Pune.
Their apprehensions are shared by other art lovers who think of buying artworks online. SHURUA(R)T's better packaging ensured a quality artwork in their home.

This is a strikingly appealing folio based on the epic 'Shahnama' by great Central Asian poet Firdausi.
Though the subject of this painting is based on a Persian work, the treatment is Indian.
At display in Museum Rietberg, Zurich, this marvelous work was created in the 15th century.