'Instagram of 19th century': Rare Patna Qalam artworks on display at city museum

New Delhi/Patna: Before the advent of photography, they depicted social milieu, documented daily lives of ordinary people, and captured the essence of festivals and religious ceremonies, but this famed school of painting that once flourished in 19th-century Patna has largely been forgotten today.

Now, an exhibition titled ‘Patna Qalam: Ek Virasat’, currently on at the Patna Museum, presents some of its rare preserved specimens, with an endeavour to revive its legacy and introduce people to this now-lost artwork style.

“We have showcased about 130 items, which include Patna Qalam artworks made on different mediums like paper, mica, ivory, and an album of such paintings with 45 folios, dating to about 1850-56,” Ashok Kumar Sinha, Additional Director, Bihar Museum, told PTI.

The exhibits have been drawn largely from the old collections of Patna Museum. They also include contributions of artworks from a private collector, and a descendant of Hulas Lal, who was a Patna Qalam artist, Sinha said.

Sinha said that while there are a few private collectors of such artworks, and some exhibitions of this long-forgotten style may have been held in the past in Patna, it is for the first time that Patna Qalam paintings are on display on such a scale at the museum.

The origin of Patna Qalam, also written as ‘Patna Kalam’, can be traced to sometime in the 18th century. It was largely patronised by the British, from the East India Company rule to the Raj era. Some museums and libraries in the UK also house Patna Qalam artworks.

It was an amalgamation of the Indian miniature style with the Western Company school of art, depicting a range of subjects, but it stands out for the vivid portrayal of the ordinary, native Indian population, from toddy sellers to glassware makers and from jugglers to washermen.

Besides Hulas Lal, Shiva Lal and Ishwari Prasad, among others, were prominent artists of Patna Qalam.

“Patna Qalam artists, in a way, were also documenting the lives of ordinary occupations through their art.

They also portrayed religious rituals, and the portrayals of Muharram processions look iconic. One can see festivals like Deepavali and Dusshera in the paintings of that period, also 'barat' (bridal) processions. Patna Qalam was like the 'Instagram' of that era,” Sinha said.

Patna Qalam also serves as a window to help imagine how Patna was 200 years ago, when the artwork was flourishing, he said.

This school of art is said to have lasted from the second half of the 18th century to 1940s, with its artists capturing the social milieu of that time through the use of subdued colours and life-like depictions.

“One of the artworks depicts a few students, seemingly from different communities, together receiving education from an instructor under the glow of a lantern. Another shows the portrayal of Jhansi ki Rani, Rani Laxmibai, which is very rare. There are also arts which depict Patna's Golghar (built in 1786), ghats, and birds,” Sinha said.

According to available historical accounts and art experts, many artists migrated to Patna from Murshidabad in Bengal and settled in Old Patna (today's Patna City). They found the patronage of British officials, wealthy merchants and affluent sections of society, who commissioned them for works.

“Under their patronage, Patna Qalam artists created several artworks showing the ordinary lives of natives. The British officials posted in Patna used to send these back to England to let their friends and families know about the scenes in India, something people do on social media today,” the senior Bihar Museum official said.

Patna Qalam flourished till about 1920s, and then with the advent of photography in Bihar, the art style gradually lost its significance and patronage, Sinha said.

The exhibition is being hosted in a new wing, constructed adjacent to the 97-year-old building of the Patna Museum on the Patna-Gaya Road, which underwent a major redevelopment during 2020-2025.

The museum, which was under the administrative control of Bihar's art and culture department, has been under the management running the modern Bihar Museum on Bailey Road since the past couple of years.

The Patna Museum, set up in 1917, is home to a rich collection of sculptures, coins, artworks and other artefacts.

“During the redevelopment work a couple of years ago, when old collections were moved out of the old building into storage and for conservation work, we realised the wealth of our Patna Qalam collection. Since then, we have been planning the exhibition,” Sinha, also the additional director of Patna Museum, said.

“We have about 300 artworks and other items related to Patna Qalam, dating from the 19th century to the 1920s, made on different mediums, including ivory and deer skin. It is our prized collection. We wish to eventually have a permanent gallery for Patna Qalam artworks,” he said.

Some of the artworks in possession of Sanjay Kumar Lal, a descendant of Hulas Lal, which were made by the Patna Qalam artist or his other ancestors, are also part of the display.

“He (Sanjay Lal) is based in Dhanbad. His works were brought to Patna after they were duly approved by the archaeological department authorities in Ranchi. We have also scientifically examined his collection and validated that its provenance is from the second half of the 19th century to the 1920s,” he said.

The exhibition, which was inaugurated on December 17, will run till January 31, Sinha said.