Brush with history

Few painters pick the Rashtrapati Bhawan as their artistic subject, even fewer have the privilege of viewing it from close quarters.

Kolkata -based Swaroop Mukerji, however, managed to spend a fortnight capturing the towering early 20th century Lutyen architecture with painterly strokes. The outcome is a series of 15 delicately executed works on the grand structure atop the Raisina Hill in the heart of the capital.

The paintings include the 3rd century  BC Ashokan Bull Capital installed at the building's eastern face, catching the mood of the horses at the President's stable as also the hallways and staircases of the 340-room building.

"I like painting heritage buildings. They are  part of our history but not all are accessible to the masses. I want to capture its  essence in my work," says the self-taught water colourist.

While the collection doesn't include a portrait of the President,  Mukerji hopes that these works, which will be shown in the capital next year, will soon open doors to paint other places of important architectural heritage in India; in 2003, Mukerji painted 24 water colours on Kolkata's Raj Bhawan.

Other works include the golf course at Kolkata's Tollygunge Club and on-the-spot renderings of the 2003 World Cricket Cup in South Africa.

Mukerji, who had earlier worked with Duncan's Tea and now runs a trading company, says that people are increasingly buying water colours.

One of his work on the Char Minar sold for £ 1,250 at a London show and another work on the Gateway of Mumbai for $1,850 in the US. His clients  include the likes of Swaraj Paul and  the "lords and ladies of the UK".

Bowring's, in 2003, selected 24 of his works, valued at Rs 7.5 lakh, for auction but couldn't sell them as the bidding did not go beyond Rs 6.5 lakh. But with renewed interest in water colours, Mukerjee isn't losing heart yet.