Description
Chhiattor-er Monnontor (The Bengal Famine of 1769-70) is based on academic sources and research which was discussed with the artists. On that basis, Dukhushyam Chitrakar first composed a poem and set it to music. The painting then began with a pencilled outline of the entire story. Colours were prepared and the panels painted collectively by the chitrakar community over a number of days. This is the final version of the scroll photographed by the Digital Humanities team at University of Exeter.
Creator
Chitrakar, Dukhushyam
Chitrakar, Jahanara
Chitrakar, Rabbani
Chitrakar, Rahim
Chitrakar, Rahman
Chitrakar, Ushiara
Source
William Hunter, The Annals of Rural Bengal (New York: 1868), chapters 2 and 5, appendices A and B.
Hunter, Famine Aspects of Bengal Districts, p.26 (cost of 1770 famine).
John Shore, "Still fresh in memory's eye the scene I view", in Hunter, Annals, p.28, and Memoir of the Life and Correspondence of John Lord Teignmouth, by his Son (London, 1843), Vol. i. pp. 25, 26.
Anonymous, "Nad nadi khal bil shob shukailo", in Suprasanna Bandopadhyay (ed), Itihasashrito Bangla Kobita, 1751-1855 (Calcutta: 1954). Famine and Dearth in India and Britain, 1550-1800.
The Famine and Dearth in India and Britain, 1550-1800 database.
Publisher
University of Exeter
Date
2020-01
Contributor
Brock, Dan
Dutta, Shrutakirti
Fereday, Graham
Holding, Richard
Mbedzi, Tumisang
Mondal, Sujit
Mukherjee, Ayesha
Rights
CC BY-NC
Format
High resolution zoomable image
Type
Scroll painting [patachitra]
Coverage
Bengal, India; 1769-70
Original Format
Natural colours on cartridge paper backed with cotton cloth