Crow on Banaras

A single crow holds the foreground, its dark form set against the worn ghats and temple spires of Banaras. Tapas Kanti Mitra works in watercolour on paper, and the medium does the storytelling: thin, luminous washes let the city's light come through from behind, while the bird is laid down in a few sure, darker strokes. The scene sits between an ordinary morning on the river and something quieter and more lasting.

Mitra, based in Kolkata, is known for exactly this — transparent watercolour landscapes that find the poetry in everyday urban scenes. Banaras has been painted by Indian artists for over a century, yet his reading feels neither touristic nor over-romantic. It's one person's honest look at a much-painted place.

Original watercolour on paper · 20 × 14 inches · 2003 · one of one, with certificate of authenticity.