Untitled

Chittaprosad is one of the most important Indian artists of the twentieth century. He is best known for his documentation of the 1943 Bengal famine, which was one of the worst man-made disasters in history that killed millions in India during the Second World War, while the country was still under British colonial rule. A committed member of the Communist Party of India, Chittaprosad’s art also protested against colonialism, economic exploitation, urban poverty and depravity. This Untitled lino-print by him may not be a depiction of the 1943 famine, but a general reaction to worldly suffering that affects all forms of life. In the image, we see dead trees, along with starving cattle and farming families, all of whom are debilitated by drought.