Narrative Scrolls from West Bengal
Appropriate for grades:
Subject areas: History and Social Studies Visual and Performing Arts
In West Bengal, India, a traditional caste community of artists, called patuas, paint colorful scrolls to accompany songs which they sing to relate historic, current, religious and cultural events to their audiences. These itinerant painters/singers are part of a long lineage that has passed the tradition down for generations.
Teaching / Learning Goals:
Teachers and students will …
Objectives
- To learn about the process of making narrative scrolls in the patua style and how they are used over time to convey important events and transmit cultural values(historical and cultural understanding).
- To explore the imagery used in patua paintings (perceiving, analyzing and responding).
- To use your own imagery to create a narrative scroll painting (creating and performing).